More than 40 companies manufacturing cough syrups in the country have failed quality tests, a CDSCO report said citing the lab tests conducted in different states in the aftermath of reports linking India-made cough syrups to 141 child fatalities globally.

As per the report released by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), out of 1,105 samples tested, 59 samples were declared as 'not of standard quality'.

The report was released by the CDSCO in November under a list of drugs, medical devices and cosmetics declared as 'not of standard quality' or 'spurious' or 'adulterated' or 'misbranded'.

The data has come from the test reports of government testing labs. The report said that no samples were found to be spurious or misbranded.

The move came after several deaths were reported globally post consuming India-made cough syrups. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) after these deaths had made it mandatory for exporters to seek government clearance on the quality of cough syrups.

Noting the DGFT requirement, CDSCO has been testing all the batches of cough syrups which seek export permission.