Jaipur drug controller warns against use of harmful mehndi cones

Jaipur: The city’s drug controllers have issued a warning against the use of substandard and harmful mehndi (henna) cones available in the market, following a raid at an illegal mehndi manufacturing unit in Baran district past week.

The drug control department issued a detailed advisory, asking people to check the expiry date, license, and registration numbers on the cone before purchasing it. If the requisite details are not printed on the product, it is likely that it was produced at an illegal factory. The local authorities said that many mehndi cones in the city are being sold without any license, and may include some toxic mix of chemicals, “One should check that there is manufacturing date printed on the cone along with its license number,” an official said.

The advisory comes after a team of drug controller had raided a manufacturing unit in Nayapura in Baran district. The sleuths had seized several empty packets, tapes and machines producing mehndi cones.

The unit was run illegally as it did not have any licensing number; neither it was registered with any of the departments.  “They sell these products at a cheaper rate in the market, but no one knows the real contents of these substandard cones, it may well have contained some toxic chemicals,” said the official.