Seen and heard: counterfeiting news in brief

Fake tobacco in Russia, another cosmetics seizure in Cambodia, adulterated spices and the risk of fake drugs being used in clinical trials.

Up to 40 per cent of all tobacco sold in Russia is counterfeit; report

An estimated 35-40 per cent of tobacco products sold on the Russian market are illegally produced, according to Russian business ombudsman Boris Titov, who says the trade is dealing a "serious blow" to the budget of the Russian Federation as well as placing the public at risk, reports RBTH.com. Titov is calling for a unified state mechanism to control the tobacco market that would collate information about the use of raw materials and production volumes, says the article, which suggests a bill seeking such a mechanism is due to be debated in parliament shortly.

Cambodia uncovers another big fake cosmetics cache

The authorities in Cambodia have made another massive seizure of fake cosmetics, uncovering 30 tons of products imported from Thailand and Vietnam and re-labelled as more expensive foreign brands at a property in the capital Phnom Penh, says CambodiaDaily.com. Earlier this month almost 70 tons of beauty products were confiscated in two other raids at premises owned by Ing Touch (42), who is also implicated in the latest seizure and has been detained for questioning.

Spices "adulterated with inedible colours", say Indian officials

Officials in India have carried out a raid at a market in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, seizing quantities of chilli and turmeric powder that is suspected of being laced with inedible colours that could be "injurious to health", according to an article on HindustanTimes.com. The colours – added using grinding machines – were reportedly intended to bulk out the products and make them more attractive to buyers. The report says in fiscal 2016-17 Ghaziabad authorities found that 152 of 568 samples (around 27 per cent) taken from vendors were substandard or mislabelled, and 27 (around 5 per cent) were unsafe for consumption.

Making sure counterfeits aren't used in clinical trials

When pharma companies source competitor drugs to use in comparative studies, there is a risk that they can inadvertently introduce counterfeits into the supply chain, potentially exposing patients to harm and compromising the trial. An interview with Terry Walsh, head of global externalization packaging, labeling distribution and comparator drug access at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Applied Clinical Trials discusses the measures that can be taken to reduce those risks and ensure legitimate supplies are available.