Bayer Diabetes Care, a unit of Bayer AG, has voluntarily recalled its Contour test Strip, used with its Contour TS blood glucose meter, in the India US, Mexico, Austria, and Turkey because it gave false reading by up to 17% higher than actual blood glucose level.

Bayer stated in a release, that the strips, used with its Contour TS Blood Glucose Meter, had been produced on new manufacturing equipment that had not been properly calibrated.

Dr Maha Taysir Barakat, medical and research director at the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Abu Dhabi, said "The reading difference of 17% is a bit too high. The
use of these strips by patients could result in “inaccurately high” blood glucose test results that may lead to improper treatment and possible injury.”

False readings may result in diabetics giving themselves too much insulin. Overdoses of insulin are dangerous and could be life-threatening.

Sources said, the voluntary recall does not affect the Contour TS Blood Glucose Meter, the kit with these strips.

For more information regarding the test strips product codes and lot numbers, kindly visit Bayer Diabetes Care Web site.