In what could deal a blow to India's ayurvedic agenda in the Americas, the Canadian government has banned the sale of Indian ayurvedic medicines in the country claiming that they contain high levels of metals like lead and mercury and arsenic, posing grave health risks.

Hamdard's Safi, Dabur's Shilajit, Himalaya Drug's Karela Capsules, Zandu Pharma's Mahasudarshana Churna Powder are some of the products which Canada has pronounced unsafe for consumption.

Health Canada, a government department, has issued a warning to consumers and made public a list of "unapproved Indian ayurvedic products'' on its website on July 14, which also includes small-scale ayurvedic manufacturers. It's working with importers and distributors to remove them from the market and also asking people to use only those ayurvedic medicines that are authorised for sale by Health Canada.

It says on its website: Ayurvedic medicinal products are used in traditional Indian healing and often imported from India. According to the principles of ayurvedic medicines, heavy metals may be used because of their reputed therapeutic properties. However, improper manufacturing processes may result in dangerously high level of heavy metals remaining in the final product. They may pose a particular health risk because they may accumulate in vital organs. For instance, arsenic poisoning can cause swelling of the brain and paralysis.

Zandu Pharma CEO Narendra Bhatt said that incidents such as these dent the image of the entire ayurvedic fraternity. "We should study the matter than merely react to it. The government and industry should bring out a status report on the ayurvedic industry. Zandu products identified as unsafe by Canada are herbal in nature and don't contain metals. In any case, we don't import to Canada directly. Our products reach grocers through distributors. However, the industry requires strict monitoring.''

Dabur says it has not exported any consignment of Mahasudarshan Churna to Canada. "We would get in touch with the Canadian authorities through the ministry of health and family welfare to get details of the product they have tested and the testing procedures, to gauge the veracity of their claims. Shilajit is a rock extract and does not contain metal. The alarm issued by the Canadian healthcare authorities is unreasonable.''

Also, metals form an integral part of ayurvedic medicines as they have therapeutic properties. Dabur follows manufacturing standards set by the Indian government. The medicines are safe for consumption, says the Dabur spokesperson.