COIMBATORE: Following a recent complaint that hair oil mixed with rabbit blood was being sold at Gobichettipalayam in neighbouring Erode district, the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department has intensified checks at hair oil and cosmetics manufacturing companies in Coimbatore and warehouses of online platforms where such products are promoted.
Based on complaints received in December 2024, officers from the drugs control department and CDSCO inspected three locations - two at Zamin Kottampatti and one at Kammalapatti near Pollachi in Coimbatore district. The team held an inquiry in the warehouse of a leading e-commerce firm at Orattukuppai village in the city outskirts. However, no evidence of rabbit blood hair oil manufacturing was found during the inspections, sources said.
In the wake of the Erode complaint, the officers are holding inspections once again. “We will continue the investigation across the Coimbatore district, to curb the practice. Also, social media platforms promoting such products are being monitored. People should be aware of the consequences before using such products as they are not scientifically approved. If anyone is found involving such activities, we will take legal action,” said S Marimuthu, Assistant Director of Drug Control, Coimbatore zone.
The claim that rabbit blood hair oil has antibacterial and antifungal elements which would help in reducing dandruff and scalp infections is not scientifically proven and the product is not approved under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Cosmetic items are approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) if they conform to standards prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
There are 20 cosmetic manufacturers in Coimbatore district, and they have been warned not to engage in such oil production, he said. “If someone wants to manufacture a cosmetic item, they should obtain a licence from the director of the drug controller through offline mode,” Marimuthu added.