Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Pills
Pills bdspn74 DepositPhotos Deposit Photos
Health
carcinogenic
paracetamol
Zembla
NRC
Healthcare Inspectorate
Medicine Evaluation Board
Apotex
4-chloroaniline
Anqiu Lu'an Pharmaceutical
Friday, July 10, 2020 - 08:56
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Carcinogenic found in paracetamol possibly available on Dutch market: report

Paracetamol containing a carcinogenic substance may have entered the Dutch market, according to research by Zembla and NRC. They had samples from the largest producer of the active ingredient in the drug - Anqiu Lu'an Pharmaceutical in China - examined by a certified lab in Germany and found that three lots from the spring of 2019 were contaminated with the carcinogenic 4-chloroaniline. That is good for millions of pills.

It is impossible to say with certainty where these pills ended up on the market. But it is known that half of the paracetamol in the Netherlands is made by pharmaceutical Apotex in Leiden, and sources confirmed to NRC and Zembla that the company used Anqiu Lu'an as its main raw material supplier over the past years. Apotex makes paracetamol for Albert Heijn, Etos, Jumbo, Trekpleister, DA, and Kruidvat, among others.

NRC and Zembla asked the Healthcare Inspectorate and the Medicine Evaluation Board, which monitor the quality of medicines, for a response. The Inspectorate said that it sees "no role" for itself in this story. The Board said it won't conduct a broader investigation into the matter, according to the newspaper. On its website the Medicine Evaluation Board said that the safety of paracetamol is "not up for debate" and the amount of carcinogenic substance found by NRC does not exceed the permitted amount. 

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Northern provinces scaling down regular care as Covid infections rise
  • 50th gorilla born at Apenheul in zoo's 50th year
  • Amsterdam man convicted in sex club slayings shot dead in front of daughter, 7
  • PM Rutte pleads for quick cabinet formation after election
  • 4,161 new coronavirus infections brings average down 3 percent
  • Energy sector wants next cabinet to invest fully in hydrogen

Top Stories

  • Amsterdam man convicted in sex club slayings shot dead in front of daughter, 7
  • 4,161 new coronavirus infections brings average down 3 percent
  • Dutch politics fragmented: 15 parties have chance at parliamentary seat
  • MPs against nuclear power plant in Groningen
  • Most NL residents think restaurant terraces can reopen safely
  • Coronavirus average hits new five-week high

© 2012-2021 NLTimes.nl, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact