FDA Recalls 27 Eye Drops Made at India Factory Where Workers Go Barefoot

Multiple eye drops have been recalled after a report divulged “insanitary conditions” at a factory in Mumbai, India.

The New York Post reported Friday that officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled 27 eye drops at several retailers.

FDA recalls another 27 eye drops made in ‘insanitary’ plant where operators work barefoot https://t.co/D1iuLvrmaQ pic.twitter.com/fO1RqSGgpJ

— New York Post (@nypost) November 17, 2023

The products were on shelves at CVS, Rite Aid, Target, and Walmart. The outlet continued:

Kilitch Healthcare India Limited voluntarily recalled lots of eye products with expiration dates ranging from November 2023 to September 2025 after visiting the pharma giant’s Mumbai plant last month and publishing a report that said personnel at the manufacturing site “were working barefoot.”

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In another instance, sterile bottles fell onto the non-sterile conveyor belt, and “bottles were permitted to remain on the line for filling despite falling over where the top of the bottle came in contact with the conveyor,” the report said.

Inspectors also reportedly found the facility had cracked floors.

The FDA’s list of recalled items and more pertinent information can be found here.

“For those patients who use these products, there is a potential risk of eye infections or related harm. These products are intended to be sterile,” the announcement read, adding, “To date, Kilitch Healthcare India Limited has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.”

Consumers should not use the recalled products but return the items to the store where they were purchased.

CVS and Rite Aid removed their Lubricant Eye Drops and Multi Action Relief Drops from store shelves, and Target threw out its High Performance Lubricant Eye Drops, according to the Post.

The outlet added, “Walmart had to be wary of its Equate Hydration PF Lubricant Eye Drops.”

FDA officials said bacteria detected in some of the products can cause people to suffer eye infections, vision loss, and blindness, Today reported Thursday.

On Friday, former FDA Associate Commissioner Peter Pitts told News Nation, “The eye drop recall issue has been around a couple of months.”

“All the products are coming from India, so that should be a nod to the need for better quality control overseas from FDA inspectors,” he stated.

In February, another company recalled its eye drops, EzriCare Artificial Tears, that were connected to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections, the Associated Press (AP) reported.