Prohibits to Import, manufacture, sale, distribution and use in any food producing animal rearing system of drug formulations containing “Chloramphenicol or Nitrofurans drugs with immediate effect

CDSCO Veterinary Division, has issued a directive prohibiting the import, manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of drug formulations containing Chloramphenicol or Nitrofurans in food‑producing animals with immediate effect. This follows continued detection of residues in shrimp export consignments despite Notification S.O. 1158 dated 12.03.2025, which banned these drugs. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) reported that in 2025, 43% of consignments to the EU, USA, and Japan were rejected due to such residues, traced to over 40 farms, mainly in Andhra Pradesh (74%), Odisha (13%), West Bengal (8.7%), and Gujarat (4.3%). States and Union Territories are instructed to strengthen vigilance, conduct inspections of veterinary medical shops, and report mechanisms of enforcement, inspection outcomes, and punitive actions taken against violators. Authorities must ensure that these drugs are sold only through licensed manufacturers and premises, with proper reconciliation, and initiate regulatory action under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Rules, 1945.