Traditional Indian medicines seized in Australia

Australian health authorities raided Indian grocery stores in Sydney, seizing traditional medicines they fear may cause lead poisoning.

New South Wales (NSW) Health have warned the public against consumption of non-prescribed traditional medicines after a woman who had been taking an ayurvedic medicine was found to have high lead levels, the Australian Associated Press reported.

According to health officials, pharmaceutical inspectors raided three Indian grocery stores in Campsie and seized 30 bottles of a traditional medicine.

"NSW Health is warning the public about the risks of this type of complementary medicine which can be readily sourced from local ethnic grocery stores or overseas," a health official said.

"Testing samples of ayurvedic medicine from both Sydney-based retailers and overseas by NSW Health have found heavy metal contamination and arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. The overseas samples had particularly high levels of mercury," the official said.

"NSW Health advises people in possession of non-approved ayurvedic medicines not to consume them and to discard them," the official added.