Hesh Pharma is So Wrong...

[nzeee]

I agree with your post, except for the bolded.

hmmmm... i was actually being sarcastic. and since this is the internet i'm not certain if you caught onto the sarcasm or not.

ah well, i don't think contaminated batches would be limited to canada only. at least not until there was testing done in the states. i'm guessing batches would be intended for NA and not for CA or US only so best to be careful w/ all hesh for now, since only one of our governments seems to be testing it.

and also re: the fact that these products are manufactured in developing countries, that may be so but they still have to meet the import criteria of our countries... in fact, if you check your henna and other indian products you'll often see a claim that the product is for export only. this tells me that they either have different manufacturing processes for export vs local market or that there must be some other difference between what they provide to us and what they make available locally. although... i guess it could just be a difference in labeling

 

[nzeee]

also, what do you think about OPs other claim, that the boards are strong and have a big influence over places like target which is now providing a lot of natural hair products.

do large retailers have spys at lhcf, bhm, natuarally curl etc who are taking notes on our every whim and desire?

that sounds like i'm mocking but i'm not completely. it's something that gets mentioned A LOT on bhm on the weave board and i've often wondered if it's really true. do you think we have an impact?

 

[tatiana]

also, what do you think about OPs other claim, that the boards are strong and have a big influence over places like target which is now providing a lot of natural hair products.

do large retailers have spys at lhcf, bhm, natuarally curl etc who are taking notes on our every whim and desire?

that sounds like i'm mocking but i'm not completely. it's something that gets mentioned A LOT on bhm on the weave board and i've often wondered if it's really true. do you think we have an impact?

The answer is yes. Not just retailers but also cosmetic companies like Revlon.

Companies like Target will hire what is called as buyers and they buy certain products for certain stores. Haven't you ever wonder why some Targets have certain products where the Targets 45 minutes away do not?

Please note buyers buy ever single last product in stores not just hair products. All stores have them T.J.Maxx, Victoria Secret, Old Navy, and etc.

 

[mzteaze]

If you think about it - of course these products are not made to us/ can standards. We are talking about a place where running water is a luxury that most working class people do not have. Hand washing with anti-bac soap after going to the bathroom or handling animals?????? Not even on their radar. It is what it is. It's a chance you take when you use products not made in the US. Same goes for butters made in Africa.

Please don't assume that because something is manufactured in the US or Canada that a company can not have issues with high bacteria levels of ALL types of bacteria. This is sadly a typical problem in manufacturing in general altho it doesn't always reach "recall" levels because its caught in house.

Despite repeated discussions and annual training plus aggressive cleaning techniques it can still be a problem.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

also, what do you think about OPs other claim, that the boards are strong and have a big influence over places like target which is now providing a lot of natural hair products.

do large retailers have spys at lhcf, bhm, natuarally curl etc who are taking notes on our every whim and desire?

that sounds like i'm mocking but i'm not completely. it's something that gets mentioned A LOT on bhm on the weave board and i've often wondered if it's really true. do you think we have an impact?

Yes, they are absolutely looking at sites such as this one gleaning information.

 

[TrueToHair]

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[Mrs. Verde]

The following reiterates my points above. Below is a 60 minutes story about tainted prescription manufacturing.


Preview: Bad Medicine - 60 Minutes - CBS News

 

[TrueToHair]

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[Mrs. Verde]

Thanks for the post. I realize that there are companies like this, purposefully deceiving people to make a quick buck. What I meant by conspiracy theory is that I don't think Hesh is out to get black people in particular or anything like that. They sell it to their own people (the first time I'd heard of Hesh was in the home of a Punjabi friend). I just think the cause of the problem is that foreign health standards can be a lot lower than FDA/American health standards. It goes to show that you have to use extreme caution in purchasing these foreign made goods.

I hadn't even read your post. However, I do agree I don't think Hesh is specifically selling bad products to blacks. This was just for general information. My post above was about tainted manufacturing.

 

[fivetimestwo]

Thanks for the info. More important than trying to divulge a conspiracy theory, does anyone have any recommendations on where to purchase safe ayurvedic powders??? Thanks in advance.

bumping...

This is the real question. My inquiring mind wants to know.

 

[Guitarhero]

CBC News - Health - Hesh Pharma products pulled for bacteria

Sort of an old story, but it states that the powders were contaminated and sent to the "ethnic" stores.

Why do you think they were sent to the "ethnic" stores?



Black people usually make a significant impact on the world when they embark on anything in great numbers. Surely, the go natural craze among black women has inspired thousands and caught the attention of millions.

I guess this was some kind of joke on us since we want to use their products to get waistlength hair.

HESH is ethnic, made in India and marketed almost exclusively to Indian women who buy it at ethnic stores. Most BW are not breaking down the doors at Indian grocers and I'm sure they weren't in mind when HESH decided to pass on the contaminated product anyway. It's a big problem in India, contamination.

 

[Guitarhero]

d the

Now, the report for the Hesh Aritha Powder - The Natural Shampoo for your Hair, has additional bacterias listed as HIGH or Unacceptable levels: Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia hermannii, Pantoea species, Enterobacter cloacae, and mold. This recall letter, specifically points out that Enterobacter cloacae is a coliform which typically comes from the feces on a warm-blooded animal.

Now, let me pause here and state that I have participated in many manufacturing investigations in the pharmaceutical and beauty industry. The most COMMON source of this is generally traced back to a person who uses the restroom but does not properly wash his or her hands. Second most common source are pet owners who again have contact with their pet's feces yet again don't properly wash or clean their hands BEFORE returning to work.

S.

What about rodents? I think that is the source in India.

 

[Dposh167]

LOLOL.....i swear. Everything ain't a plot to ruin black folks lives. Now if they contaminated Motions products......then we got a prob

 

[Honey Bee]

^^^

 

[mzteaze]

What about rodents? I think that is the source in India.

There actually is a longer list of possibilities from how contaminates get into products from how they manufacturer the product, to packaging it or storing the products. All three areas depend on human contact depending on how "up to date" the plant is. Sadly, many of you might decide NOT to purchase beauty products if you had any idea how lax many of these companies are - even in the US.

Another choice high on the list is actually water. If they don't use filtered water or USP water and rely on potable water (city water, i.e. tap water) to clean their equipment, that also can be a source of bacteria contact. When this is coupled with the lack of reliable (and industry acceptable) cleaning methods/products, this is a SURE recipe for disaster.

The point is, we could speculate for days on the source, which in the end doesn't really matter. Mistakes in manufacturing are a fact of life. Its really more important that the company remediates the issues properly following any recalls and institute correct methods to avoid this type of incident again.

 

[TrueToHair]

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[mzteaze]

rejuvenation - I have only purchased a few powders. But I was happy with Henna Sooq (I think she posts here as well). I know she sells a nice quality henna and amla. Not sure about the rest of the powders.

She is in Canada, so obviously she ships to Canadians too Henna Sooq

 

[TrueToHair]

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[empressri]

rejuvenation - I have only purchased a few powders. But I was happy with Henna Sooq (I think she posts here as well). I know she sells a nice quality henna and amla. Not sure about the rest of the powders.

She is in Canada, so obviously she ships to Canadians too Henna Sooq

Henna Sooq main branch is in Maryland. I've bought amla powder from her awhile ago and it was very good. I actually have some more cassia coming from her. She doesn't sell any junk.

 

[mzteaze]

Henna Sooq main branch is in Maryland. I've bought amla powder from her awhile ago and it was very good. I actually have some more cassia coming from her. She doesn't sell any junk.

What part of MD? My package came from Canada not MD.

 

[empressri]

What part of MD? My package came from Canada not MD.

Henna Sooq's Main Branch will be relocating to Elkridge, Maryland in August 2010

Contact information is 410-579-4543
Services and Products will still be available in Montreal, and Toronto (Canada), and Henna Sooq Canada has been officially launched!

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We are located in Elkridge, Maryland (USA)

 

[mzteaze]

Henna Sooq's Main Branch will be relocating to Elkridge, Maryland in August 2010

Contact information is 410-579-4543
Services and Products will still be available in Montreal, and Toronto (Canada), and Henna Sooq Canada has been officially launched!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are located in Elkridge, Maryland (USA)

WOW. I hadn't seen that. So funny since its close to where I am from. Thanks!

 

[empressri]

WOW. I hadn't seen that. So funny since its close to where I am from. Thanks!

no problem! funnily enough when i first purchased from them it was like 5 years ago and i think they were just in canada.

 

[JollyGal]

This is the second time that I have read about hesh pharma's contaminated products.
I'm no longer using their products. The reputation of this company is going down. The fact that this story has not disappeared means that the problem is prevalent.

Are there any alternatives? The only one I can think of for the UK and Europe is Akamuti. They always have amla, aritha and neem in stock but it's not very reliable if you want to purchase other powders.

 

[TrueToHair]

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[Vashti]

According to the information I could find, there was a voluntary recall for two of their powders by the Canada version of the FDA.

The reason for the recall of Hesh Shikakai powder was due to HIGH or unacceptible levels of two types of bacteria:

gram-negative bacteria Enterobacter cloacae and Kluyvera intermedia

Here is the link to the recall notice for the Hesh Shikakai Powder Consumer Product Recalls - Consumer Product Safety and the

Now, the report for the Hesh Aritha Powder - The Natural Shampoo for your Hair, has additional bacterias listed as HIGH or Unacceptable levels: Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia hermannii, Pantoea species, Enterobacter cloacae, and mold. This recall letter, specifically points out that Enterobacter cloacae is a coliform which typically comes from the feces on a warm-blooded animal.

Now, let me pause here and state that I have participated in many manufacturing investigations in the pharmaceutical and beauty industry. The most COMMON source of this is generally traced back to a person who uses the restroom but does not properly wash his or her hands. Second most common source are pet owners who again have contact with their pet's feces yet again don't properly wash or clean their hands BEFORE returning to work.

So, lets be clear, there were no feces in the products, simply the bacteria found commonly from contact with feces.

Read for yourself about the Hesh Aritha Powder Consumer Product Recalls - Consumer Product Safety

Please note, in BOTH recall letters are UPC codes for the affected lots. You can check those codes against your products at home.

Unfortunately I tend to be conspiracy-minded. Thank you mzteaze for the clarification.

 

[ActionActress]

I'm dead serious.

I didn't say black, I said African American/black (there is a difference). And I didn't say there weren't alot, I said I believe the numbers were minor in comparison to how AA population. Seriously, how many "around the way" AA women do you think/know are frequenting the local Indian Bazaar buying up all the Brahmi powder for their hair?

How about this...I think there are more Indian women buying these products than "us". So why would Hesh "poop up" the heads of their own women just to get the few (in comparison) of AA women who are using the products. I think Hesh was being triflin, but I don't think they had a "target" in mind.

I agree....

I also think we have not be so quick to be so "conspiracy-raise-the-flag- minded" when it comes to these things. From my understanding, it is mostly Indian/Pakistan women who use those products as well as caucasian. I do agree there is a small minor of us who use Ayurveda period. It seems to be ones on hair boards that use it.
There are other ethnicities in this world besides those of African extraction.

Ethnic can be: Chinese, Korean,Indian,Jamaican, African-American.

You can be of a same race but different ethnic group: i.e.

Italian....Irish.....Greek.

And yes I looove Ayurveda, I will continue to purchase whatever works for my hair. I am not into if it ain't African, don't buy it. But it's MHO

AA

 

[choctaw]

Are there any alternatives? The only one I can think of for the UK and Europe is Akamuti.

There is another company called Seasons. I have purchased some amla and henna under this name at an Indian grocer. Check ayurnaturalbeauty.com to see if they carry this brand. I don't know whether Seasons is available in UK and Europe. HTH