How did restricted Pakistan-made 'Goree,' 'Chandni' creams enter Indian market
What's the story
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued a public health warning against two Pakistani cosmetic products, Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream. The warning comes after tests found high levels of heavy metals in the creams and they also did not have the registration certificate required for their import and sale in India. The CDSCO has advised consumers not to buy or use these products and directed sellers and distributors to stop their sale and distribution.
Product details
Heavy metals found in creams
The two products were manufactured in Lahore, Pakistan, as per the CDSCO.
The Goree Beauty Cream was manufactured by Goree Cosmetics, Lahore, and Chandni Whitening Cream was manufactured by SJ Enterprises, Lahore.
The regulator did not specify the exact concentration of heavy metals but confirmed they exceeded prescribed limits, posing potential health risks.
Regulatory compliance
Cosmetics Rules, 2020
The CDSCO's warning comes amid ongoing concerns over unregistered cosmetic products in India, especially skin-whitening creams.
Under India's Cosmetics Rules, 2020, imported cosmetics must be registered with the Central Licensing Authority before sale. Domestic manufacturers need a license from the relevant state authority.
The CDSCO's notice confirmed that neither Goree nor Chandni had received such registration certificates for import and sale in India.
Maharashtra
Several women from Nagpur complained of developed kidney-related ailments
Surprisingly, while the CDSCO has banned the sale of the creams, it is worth noting that the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had already banned the sale and distribution of Goree Cream in June after tests found toxic levels of mercury.
This means that this information was available in the public domain for a few months before the CDSCO took action.
Reportedly, several women from Nagpur complained of developed kidney-related ailments after using the cream for nearly two years.
Import ban
Imports from Pakistan banned on May 2, 2025
The presence of these creams in India is significant, as the country had banned direct or indirect imports from Pakistan on May 2, 2025. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade issued this restriction until further orders.
Despite this ban, Goree and Chandni were listed on several Indian e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Tata 1mg, and Snapdeal.
Some listings incorrectly identified India as the country of origin without consistent information about actual manufacturers or sellers.
Listing removal
Action by online marketplaces
After the issue came to light, some online marketplaces took action.
Amazon removed a misleading listing for Goree Beauty Cream after finding incorrect country-of-origin information.
Flipkart said it was examining whether the products violated its policies, while Meesho removed the product after it was found to have entered India as its country of origin.
These developments underscore the challenges of monitoring third-party sellers on large e-commerce platforms with inaccurate or incomplete product descriptions and declarations.
Consumer advisory
Products could have entered India through third countries
The route by which Pakistan-made items entered India has not been definitively confirmed.
However, regulatory experts quoted by Business Standard suggested that the products could have entered India through third countries.
According to Rishi Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of TeamLease RegTech, many companies from Pakistan might be using distribution networks to reroute their products to India from friendlier countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Nepal.
Expert
'There remains an information asymmetry'
Another possible way is by manipulating import documents.
Speaking anonymously to Business Standard, a retired drug inspector suggested that if goods underwent limited processing in an intermediary country, import documentation could potentially be manipulated to show a different country of origin.
"There remains an information asymmetry, where important regulatory messages do not get through the last rung of distributors," Agrawal told Business Standard.