Pakistan-Made Fairness Creams Linked to Kidney Damage in Nagpur, Prompting Nationwide CDSCO Alert

Medical investigators in Nagpur have documented at least 18 women and girls who developed serious kidney abnormalities after using the skin-lightening product Goree Beauty Cream. Patients presented with heavy protein loss in urine, facial and pedal swelling, and extreme fatigue. Kidney biopsies revealed membranous nephropathy, a form of nephrotic syndrome, and testing identified the presence of the NELL-1 antigen, which is associated with this condition. Laboratory analysis of the cream showed mercury concentrations 100 to 105 times higher than the permissible safe limit.

Pakistan-Made Fairness Cream Scare: Nagpur Doctor Warns About Kidney Damage In Consumers Hindustan TimesWIONCDSCO flags Pakistan-made fairness creams sold in India sans import licence; warns of heavy metal risk CDSCO flags 2 Pakistani creams over excess heavy metals

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) issued a public health notice on September 8, 2026 naming Goree Beauty Cream and Chandna Whitening Cream—both labelled “Made in Pakistan”—as unauthorised cosmetic products. The regulator confirmed that the products had not received a registration certificate for import and that laboratory testing found heavy-metal levels exceeding the limits set for cosmetics. The notice advises consumers not to purchase or use the creams, to avoid similarly named products, and directs state and union-territory drug controllers, as well as CDSCO zone and port offices, to prevent further sale, distribution, or advertising.

Pakistani whitening creams flagged in India over excessive heavy metals CDSCO flags Pakistan-made fairness creams sold in India sans import licence; warns of heavy metal risk CDSCO flags 2 Pakistani creams over excess heavy metals Hindustan TimesWIONPakistan-Made Fairness Cream Scare: Nagpur Doctor Warns About Kidney Damage In Consumers

• 18 reported cases of kidney injury in Nagpur linked to Goree Beauty Cream.

Pakistan-Made Fairness Cream Scare: Nagpur Doctor Warns About Kidney Damage In Consumers

• Mercury levels in the tested cream were 100–105 × the permissible limit.

Pakistan-Made Fairness Cream Scare: Nagpur Doctor Warns About Kidney Damage In Consumers

• All affected patients tested positive for the NELL-1 antigen.

Pakistan-Made Fairness Cream Scare: Nagpur Doctor Warns About Kidney Damage In Consumers

Mercury has been used illicitly in some skin-lightening products because it suppresses melanin production, but it is toxic to the kidneys and nervous system. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that mercury-containing skin-lightening cosmetics can cause systemic harm, and the Minamata Convention caps mercury in such products at 1 ppm. A 2023 Indian case series and a 2024 report both linked mercury-rich fairness creams to NELL-1-positive membranous nephropathy, noting clinical improvement after discontinuation of the creams. In 2021, New Zealand’s Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority issued a similar alert about Goree Cream containing mercury and lead.

Pakistan-Made Fairness Cream Scare: Nagpur Doctor Warns About Kidney Damage In Consumers Hindustan TimesCDSCO flags Pakistan-made fairness creams sold in India sans import licence; warns of heavy metal risk WIONCDSCO flags 2 Pakistani creams over excess heavy metals

The CDSCO’s public notice stressed that cosmetics must be authorised under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and the Cosmetics Rules 2020, requiring a licence from the State Licensing Authority for domestic manufacture and registration with the Central Licensing Authority for imports.

CDSCO flags 2 Pakistani creams over excess heavy metals

• “Kidney biopsies confirmed 'Membranous Nephropathy,' a type of Nephrotic Syndrome, and tests were positive for the 'Nall antigen',” — Dr Sahu

Pakistan-Made Fairness Cream Scare: Nagpur Doctor Warns About Kidney Damage In Consumers

• “The root cause of the kidney damage was the presence of Mercury in these creams,” — Dr Sahu

Pakistan-Made Fairness Cream Scare: Nagpur Doctor Warns About Kidney Damage In Consumers

• “The issue is significant because the CDSCO has in recent years increasingly undertaken inspections and enforcement-related activities involving drug manufacturers,” — Sanjay Kumarr Jain, an advocate for Salus Pharmaceuticals that challenged the CDSCO action

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The CDSCO has instructed all state and union-territory drug controllers to enforce the ban and to report any violations to the Drugs Controller General of India. Health officials continue to monitor the Nagpur patients, and medical practitioners are advised to inquire about cosmetic use when evaluating unexplained proteinuria or swelling. Consumers are urged to purchase only authorised cosmetics that display complete regulatory information.

Pakistani whitening creams flagged in India over excessive heavy metals