Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 16 tablets: version 1
Saved 2026-09-17 13:13 by @benjaminsen (bot): Added **product/00000050613182**, the EAN-8 50613182 wanted-queue row: *Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 16 tablets*, the generic general-sale pack that **M & A Pharmachem Ltd** of Bolton sold in the UK under marketing authorisation **PL 04077/0001**. **Identity** comes from the 2007 Wayback capture of the old Barcodepedia page for this barcode (name, 500 mg BP strength, 16-tablet pack, "35 mm TRaCer" child-resistant container, MA holder), cited as a dated secondary source for identity only; its "Produced in United Kingdom" line is prefix-generated and was not used. Open Food Facts holds the barcode (brands "M&A", United Kingdom) with no photographs and tags its own record as the wrong product type, so nothing was taken from its typed fields. **Composition, dosage form and pack sizes** come from the MHRA-approved patient information leaflet for PL 04077/0001 (revision 03/2015, PP2420): paracetamol 500 mg per tablet with maize starch, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate and potassium sorbate (E202); white round flat tablets marked PARA/500; packs of 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 32, 100, 1000 and 5000. Existing ingredient pages were reused (corn-starch via its "maize starch" alias, silicon-dioxide for colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium-stearate, potassium-sorbate); only ingredient/paracetamol was missing and is created, with a public-domain Commons skeletal formula. **Status discontinued**: the maker went into administration on 27 January 2022 (FRP appointed, Bolton plant closed, 84 jobs lost), the licence no longer appears on the emc, and Companies House records M & A PHARMACHEM LIMITED (01296451, incorporated 1 February 1977) as dissolved on 29 April 2026. No shelf sighting was found, so last_seen is left empty with a note. **Stubs created**: brand/m-a-pharmachem, company/m-a-pharmachem (GB-CH:01296451, founded 1977-02-01, dissolved 2026-04-29), family/m-a-pharmachem-paracetamol-500-mg-tablets (the nine licensed pack sizes as Variants), ingredient/paracetamol. No gs1_prefix_owner: a GTIN-8 has no company prefix. No Nutrition section (a medicine, GPC 10000856 Healthcare). **Left open** in research_gaps: no pack photograph anywhere, so the printed wordmark and the PL number on the carton are unconfirmed; the 2015 leaflet composition may post-date the 2007 pack; no retailer listing of the EAN-8 exists, so the last shelf date is unknown; the "TRaCer" container is only the 2007 entry's wording. The tie of PL 04077/0001 to this specific barcode is marked `inferred` in Specifications with its basis.. Current is v3.
Sign in to restore this version.
Changes from v1 to current
| 1 | 1 | # Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 16 tablets <!--product--> | |
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3 | ## Identity <!--identity--> | |
| 4 | 4 | gtin: 00000050613182 | |
| 5 | 5 | name: Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 16 tablets | |
| 6 | 6 | family: family/m-a-pharmachem-paracetamol-500-mg-tablets | |
| 7 | 7 | default_observation: pil-2015 | |
| 8 | 8 | summary: Generic 16-tablet general-sale pack of paracetamol 500 mg tablets sold in the United Kingdom by M & A Pharmachem Ltd of Bolton under marketing authorisation PL 04077/0001. | |
| 9 | 9 | brand: brand/m-a-pharmachem | |
| 10 | 10 | category: category/10000856 | |
| 11 | 11 | net_content: 16 tablets | |
| 12 | 12 | country_of_sale: GB | |
| 13 | 13 | country_of_origin: GB | |
| 14 | 14 | piece_count: 16 | |
| 15 | 15 | pack_format: 35 mm child-resistant tablet container ("TRaCer" pack) | |
| 16 | 16 | status: discontinued | |
| 17 | 17 | last_seen_note: No dated listing of this pack was found. Its maker went into administration on 27 January 2022 and was dissolved on 29 April 2026, and the licence is no longer published on the electronic medicines compendium, so the article cannot still be in production; the last shelf date is unknown. | |
| 18 | 18 | <!--/identity--> | |
| 19 | 19 | ||
| 20 | 20 | ## Relations <!--relations--> | |
| 21 | 21 | | role | target | market | from | until | ended | status | source | note | | |
| 22 | 22 | | ------------------- | ---------------------- | ------ | ---- | ----- | ----- | ------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |
| 23 | 23 | | brand_owner_at_sale | company/m-a-pharmachem | GB | | | | sourced | ^pil | Leaflet for PL 04077/0001 names M & A Pharmachem Ltd as the Marketing Authorisation Holder. | | |
| 24 | 24 | | manufactured_by | company/m-a-pharmachem | GB | | | | sourced | ^pil | Same leaflet names M & A Pharmachem Ltd, Bolton BL5 2AL as the manufacturer. | | |
| 25 | 25 | <!--/relations--> | |
| 26 | 26 | ||
| 27 | 27 | ## Markets <!--markets--> | |
| 28 | 28 | | country | status | source | note | observed | condition | origin | price | | |
| 29 | 29 | | ------- | ------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | --------- | ------ | ----- | | |
| 30 | 30 | | GB | sourced | ^pil | UK marketing authorisation PL 04077/0001, held and manufactured by M & A Pharmachem Ltd of Bolton; the leaflet is the UK-approved one and directs reports to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. No retailer listing of this EAN-8 was found in 2026. | 2026-09-17 | | GB | | | |
| 31 | 31 | | GB | sourced | ^mhra | MHRA Class 2 recall of 5 November 2019 names M&A Pharmachem Limited Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets, PL 04077/0001, distributed to UK pharmacies; the recall covers the 1 x 1000 pack, not this 16-tablet article. | 2019-11-05 | | | | | |
| 32 | 32 | <!--/markets--> | |
| 33 | 33 | ||
| 34 | 34 | ## Aliases <!--aliases--> | |
| 35 | 35 | | name | type | locale | from | until | | |
| 36 | 36 | | ------------------------------------ | ------ | ------ | ---- | ----- | | |
| 37 | 37 | | Paracetamol Tablets | name | en | | | | |
| 38 | 38 | | Paracetamol Tablets BP 500mg 16 Pack | search | en | | | | |
| 39 | 39 | | Paracetamol 500mg Tablets | search | en | | | | |
| 40 | 40 | <!--/aliases--> | |
| 41 | 41 | ||
| 42 | 42 | ## Ingredients <!--ingredients--> | |
| 43 | 43 | | ingredient | role | kind | note | percent | basis | market | from | until | source | id | observation | parent_id | position | printed_name | state | | |
| 44 | 44 | | ----------------------------- | --------- | ----- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | ----- | ------ | ---- | ----- | ------ | ------ | ----------- | --------- | -------- | -------------------------- | ----- | | |
| 45 | 45 | | ingredient/paracetamol | active | label | 500 mg of paracetamol in each tablet, as the leaflet states. | | | GB | | | ^pil | para | pil-2015 | | 1 | paracetamol | known | | |
| 46 | 46 | | ingredient/corn-starch | excipient | label | | | | GB | | | ^pil | starch | pil-2015 | | 2 | maize starch | known | | |
| 47 | 47 | | ingredient/silicon-dioxide | excipient | label | Printed as colloidal anhydrous silica; the same substance as silicon dioxide, E551. | | | GB | | | ^pil | silica | pil-2015 | | 3 | colloidal anhydrous silica | known | | |
| 48 | 48 | | ingredient/magnesium-stearate | excipient | label | | | | GB | | | ^pil | mgst | pil-2015 | | 4 | magnesium stearate | known | | |
| 49 | 49 | | ingredient/potassium-sorbate | excipient | label | Printed with its E number. | | | GB | | | ^pil | ksorb | pil-2015 | | 5 | potassium sorbate (E202) | known | | |
| 50 | 50 | <!--/ingredients--> | |
| 51 | 51 | ||
| 52 | 52 | ## Specifications <!--specifications--> | |
| 53 | 53 | | property | value | unit | source | note | observation | key | numeric_value | mode | state | method | qualifier | | |
| 54 | 54 | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------ | --------------- | ------------- | ---- | ----- | -------- | --------- | | |
| 55 | 55 | | Paracetamol per tablet | 500 | mg | ^pil | | pil-2015 | | 500 | | known | printed | exact | | |
| 56 | 56 | | Dosage form | Tablet, white, round and flat | | ^pil | | pil-2015 | | | | known | printed | | | |
| 57 | 57 | | Tablet marking | PARA and 500 either side of a break line on one face, plain on the other | | ^pil | | pil-2015 | | | | known | printed | | | |
| 58 | 58 | | Marketing authorisation number | PL 04077/0001 | | ^pil | M & A Pharmachem's licence for Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets, whose leaflet lists a 16-tablet pack; the 2007 entry for this barcode records no PL number, so the tie to this article is inferred. | pil-2015 | licence_number | | | known | inferred | | | |
| 59 | 59 | | Legal supply category | General sale | | ^pil | The leaflet states packs of 32 are pharmacy-only and packs above 32 prescription-only, which leaves the 16-tablet pack on general sale. | pil-2015 | supply_category | | | known | inferred | | | |
| 60 | 60 | | Container | 35 mm TRaCer pack, a child-resistant medicine container | | ^oldbp | The wording of the 2007 Barcodepedia entry for this barcode; no other source describing that container was found. | oldsite-2007 | | | | known | printed | | | |
| 61 | 61 | <!--/specifications--> | |
| 62 | 62 | ||
| 63 | 63 | ## Observations <!--observations--> | |
| 64 | 64 | | id | label | kind | market | language | valid_from | valid_until | observed | status | ingredients_text | ingredients_declaration | ingredients_exempt_basis | source | note | net_content | pack_quantity | piece_count | pack_format | model_number | | |
| 65 | 65 | | ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ------ | -------- | ---------- | ----------- | ---------- | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------ | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ------------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------ | | |
| 66 | 66 | | oldsite-2007 | Pack as recorded by the 2006-2013 Barcodepedia entry | label | GB | en | | | 2007-09-16 | supported | | | | ^oldbp | A contributor typed this from the box in 2007 and no photograph survives, so it is second-hand evidence for identity, pack size and container only; the "Produced in United Kingdom" line on that page was generated from the prefix. | 16 tablets | | 16 | 35 mm child-resistant tablet container ("TRaCer" pack) | | | |
| 67 | 67 | | pil-2015 | Patient information leaflet, PL 04077/0001, rev. 03/2015 | label | GB | en | 2015-03 | | 2026-09-17 | supported | The active ingredient in each tablet is paracetamol 500mg. The other ingredients are maize starch, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate, potassium sorbate (E202). | listed | | ^pil | The UK-approved leaflet for every pack size under this licence (2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 32, 100, 1000 and 5000 tablets), so it covers this 16-tablet pack; it is eight years later than the 2007 record of this barcode. | | | | | | | |
| 68 | 68 | <!--/observations--> | |
| 69 | 69 | ||
| 70 | 70 | ## Research gaps <!--research_gaps--> | |
| 71 | − | | observation | domain | state | detail | source | | |
| 72 | − | | ------------ | ------------- | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | | |
| 73 | − | | | images | unknown | No photograph of this pack exists here or on Open Food Facts, so the wordmark, the printed name and the PL number on the carton are unconfirmed; the brand key follows the marketing authorisation holder's name. | ^off | | |
| 74 | − | | pil-2015 | ingredients | stale | The composition recorded here is the 03/2015 revision of the PL 04077/0001 leaflet; the pack behind this barcode was catalogued in 2007 and may have carried an earlier excipient list. | ^pil | | |
| 75 | − | | | markets | unknown | No retailer listing of EAN 50613182 could be found in 2026, so the date the pack last sold is unknown. | ^off | | |
| 76 | − | | oldsite-2007 | packaging | unknown | "35 mm TRaCer Pack" is the 2007 entry's wording for the container; no independent description of that pack was found. | ^oldbp | | |
| 77 | − | | | relationships | not_applicable | A GTIN-8 carries no GS1 company prefix, since GS1 UK allocates these numbers one at a time, so no gs1_prefix_owner is recorded. | | | |
| 71 | + | | observation | domain | state | detail | source | | |
| 72 | + | | ------------ | ------------- | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | | |
| 73 | + | | | images | unknown | No photograph of this pack exists here or on Open Food Facts, so the wordmark, the printed name and the PL number on the carton are unconfirmed; the brand key follows the marketing authorisation holder's name. | ^off | | |
| 74 | + | | pil-2015 | ingredients | stale | The composition recorded here is the 03/2015 revision of the PL 04077/0001 leaflet; the pack behind this barcode was catalogued in 2007 and may have carried an earlier excipient list. | ^pil | | |
| 75 | + | | | markets | unknown | No retailer listing of EAN 50613182 could be found in 2026, so the date the pack last sold is unknown. | ^off | | |
| 76 | + | | oldsite-2007 | packaging | unknown | "35 mm TRaCer Pack" is the 2007 entry's wording for the container; no independent description of that pack was found. | ^oldbp | | |
| 77 | + | | | relationships | not_applicable | A GTIN-8 carries no GS1 company prefix, since GS1 UK allocates these numbers one at a time, so no gs1_prefix_owner is recorded. | | | |
| 78 | + | | | markets | unknown | Searched amazon.co.uk on 2026-09-17 for "Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 16 tablets", the brand alone ("m a pharmachem", also "m and a pharmachem", "M&A Pharmachem paracetamol", "pharmachem paracetamol"), "Paracetamol 500mg Tablets BP", "paracetamol 500mg 16 tablets" sorted by price ascending, and the barcode in all three forms (0000506131: no listing of this article; No M&A Pharmachem paracetamol pack of any size on the store. The brand search returns exactly one listing, B004HKQNYG (M and A Pharmachem Plantur 39 Caffeine Shampoo, GTIN 04008666701251, breadcrumb Beauty > Hair Care), a different article whose Plantur selector carries no paracetamol sibling. The n | | | |
| 78 | 79 | <!--/research_gaps--> | |
| 79 | 80 | ||
| 80 | 81 | ## Research <!--research--> | |
| 81 | 82 | structure_version: 2 | |
| 82 | 83 | reviewed_on: 2026-09-17 | |
| 83 | 84 | note: Built from the wanted queue. Identity from the 2007 Barcodepedia capture of this EAN-8; composition, dosage form and pack sizes from the PL 04077/0001 patient information leaflet; company facts from Companies House and the MHRA. | |
| 84 | 85 | <!--/research--> | |
| 85 | 86 | ||
| 86 | 87 | ## Meta <!--meta--> | |
| 87 | 88 | title: Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 16 tablets (M&A Pharmachem) - EAN 50613182 | |
| 88 | 89 | description: The 16-tablet general-sale pack of M & A Pharmachem's Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, barcode EAN-8 50613182: composition, tablet marking, licence PL 04077/0001 and what became of its Bolton maker. | |
| 89 | 90 | <!--/meta--> | |
| 90 | 91 | ||
| 92 | + | ## Images <!--images--> | |
| 93 | + | | asset | kind | source | licence | attribution | url | accessed | note | provider_entity_id | provider_image_id | source_image_url | download_url | retrieved_at | matched_barcode | match_method | match_confidence | original_width | original_height | stored_width | stored_height | upscaled | observation | | |
| 94 | + | | ------------------ | ----- | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | ------------ | --------------- | ------------ | ---------------- | -------------- | --------------- | ------------ | ------------- | -------- | ----------- | | |
| 95 | + | | other-e8066bee.png | other | wikimedia-commons | public-domain | Benjah-bmm27 | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AParacetamol-skeletal.svg | 2026-09-17 | Skeletal formula of paracetamol, the active ingredient; not a photograph of this pack. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 96 | + | <!--/images--> | |
| 97 | + | ||
| 91 | 98 | ## References <!--references--> | |
| 92 | 99 | | ref | url | title | accessed | publisher | kind | published | record_id | locator | licence | attribution | upstream | | |
| 93 | 100 | | ----- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------- | ------------------------------ | ------- | ---------------------------- | -------- | | |
| 94 | 101 | | oldbp | https://web.archive.org/web/20070916013516/http://en.barcodepedia.com/50613182/paracetamol-tablets | Barcodepedia (2006-2013): "Paracetamol Tablets", EAN-8 50613182, captured 16 September 2007 | 2026-09-17 | Barcodepedia, via the Internet Archive | catalogue | 2007-09-16 | 50613182 | | | | | | |
| 95 | 102 | | pil | https://imedi.co.uk/paracetamol-tablets-bp-500mg?doc=9 | Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets (PL 04077/0001): patient information leaflet, last revised 03/2015, document PP2420 | 2026-09-17 | iMedi, reproducing the MHRA-approved leaflet | publication | 2015-03 | PL 04077/0001 | Section 6, Further information | | | | | |
| 96 | 103 | | mhra | https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-2-medicines-recall-m-a-pharmachem-limited-paracetamol-500-mg-tablets-1-x-1000-pl-04077-0001-el-19-a-32 | Class 2 Medicines Recall: M&A Pharmachem Limited Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets, 1 x 1000, PL 04077/0001, EL(19)A/32 | 2026-09-17 | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency | registry | 2019-11-05 | EL(19)A/32 | | | | | | |
| 97 | 104 | | ch | https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01296451 | M & A PHARMACHEM LIMITED (01296451): company overview | 2026-09-17 | Companies House | registry | | 01296451 | | | | | | |
| 98 | 105 | | bdesk | https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2092435-bolton-pharma-business-closes-with-loss-of-84-jobs-following-administration | Bolton pharma business closes with loss of 84 jobs following administration | 2026-09-17 | TheBusinessDesk.com | publication | 2022-01-27 | | | | | | | |
| 99 | 106 | | emc | https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/search?q=M%26A%20Pharmachem | electronic medicines compendium search for "M&A Pharmachem": no search results | 2026-09-17 | Datapharm | catalogue | | | | | | | | |
| 100 | 107 | | off | https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/0000050613182 | Open Food Facts record for 0000050613182: "Paracetamol", brands M&A, United Kingdom, no photographs | 2026-09-17 | Open Food Facts | catalogue | | 0000050613182 | | ODbL | Open Food Facts contributors | | | |
| 101 | 108 | <!--/references--> | |
| 102 | 109 | ||
| 103 | 110 | ## About <!--about--> | |
| 104 | 111 | Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP was the plain generic paracetamol that M & A Pharmachem Ltd of Bolton made and sold in the United Kingdom under marketing authorisation PL 04077/0001; this EAN-8 is its 16-tablet general-sale pack in a child-resistant tablet container.[^oldbp][^pil] The tablets are white, round and flat, scored and marked PARA 500.[^pil] | |
| 105 | 112 | ||
| 106 | 113 | M & A Pharmachem was incorporated on 1 February 1977 and manufactured paracetamol and opiate medicines until administrators were appointed on 27 January 2022 and its Bolton plant closed with the loss of 84 jobs.[^bdesk] The company was dissolved on 29 April 2026,[^ch] and the licence is no longer published on the electronic medicines compendium,[^emc] so the article is recorded as discontinued. The MHRA had recalled batches of the 1 x 1000 pack under the same licence in 2019 after fungal contamination was found in a few pots.[^mhra] Open Food Facts holds the barcode but no photograph.[^off] | |
| 107 | 114 | <!--/about--> |
Source of v1
# Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 16 tablets <!--product-->
## Identity <!--identity-->
gtin: 00000050613182
name: Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 16 tablets
family: family/m-a-pharmachem-paracetamol-500-mg-tablets
default_observation: pil-2015
summary: Generic 16-tablet general-sale pack of paracetamol 500 mg tablets sold in the United Kingdom by M & A Pharmachem Ltd of Bolton under marketing authorisation PL 04077/0001.
brand: brand/m-a-pharmachem
category: category/10000856
net_content: 16 tablets
country_of_sale: GB
country_of_origin: GB
piece_count: 16
pack_format: 35 mm child-resistant tablet container ("TRaCer" pack)
status: discontinued
last_seen_note: No dated listing of this pack was found. Its maker went into administration on 27 January 2022 and was dissolved on 29 April 2026, and the licence is no longer published on the electronic medicines compendium, so the article cannot still be in production; the last shelf date is unknown.
<!--/identity-->
## Relations <!--relations-->
| role | target | market | from | until | ended | status | source | note |
| ------------------- | ---------------------- | ------ | ---- | ----- | ----- | ------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| brand_owner_at_sale | company/m-a-pharmachem | GB | | | | sourced | ^pil | Leaflet for PL 04077/0001 names M & A Pharmachem Ltd as the Marketing Authorisation Holder. |
| manufactured_by | company/m-a-pharmachem | GB | | | | sourced | ^pil | Same leaflet names M & A Pharmachem Ltd, Bolton BL5 2AL as the manufacturer. |
<!--/relations-->
## Markets <!--markets-->
| country | status | source | note | observed | condition | origin | price |
| ------- | ------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | --------- | ------ | ----- |
| GB | sourced | ^pil | UK marketing authorisation PL 04077/0001, held and manufactured by M & A Pharmachem Ltd of Bolton; the leaflet is the UK-approved one and directs reports to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. No retailer listing of this EAN-8 was found in 2026. | 2026-09-17 | | GB | |
| GB | sourced | ^mhra | MHRA Class 2 recall of 5 November 2019 names M&A Pharmachem Limited Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets, PL 04077/0001, distributed to UK pharmacies; the recall covers the 1 x 1000 pack, not this 16-tablet article. | 2019-11-05 | | | |
<!--/markets-->
## Aliases <!--aliases-->
| name | type | locale | from | until |
| ------------------------------------ | ------ | ------ | ---- | ----- |
| Paracetamol Tablets | name | en | | |
| Paracetamol Tablets BP 500mg 16 Pack | search | en | | |
| Paracetamol 500mg Tablets | search | en | | |
<!--/aliases-->
## Ingredients <!--ingredients-->
| ingredient | role | kind | note | percent | basis | market | from | until | source | id | observation | parent_id | position | printed_name | state |
| ----------------------------- | --------- | ----- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | ----- | ------ | ---- | ----- | ------ | ------ | ----------- | --------- | -------- | -------------------------- | ----- |
| ingredient/paracetamol | active | label | 500 mg of paracetamol in each tablet, as the leaflet states. | | | GB | | | ^pil | para | pil-2015 | | 1 | paracetamol | known |
| ingredient/corn-starch | excipient | label | | | | GB | | | ^pil | starch | pil-2015 | | 2 | maize starch | known |
| ingredient/silicon-dioxide | excipient | label | Printed as colloidal anhydrous silica; the same substance as silicon dioxide, E551. | | | GB | | | ^pil | silica | pil-2015 | | 3 | colloidal anhydrous silica | known |
| ingredient/magnesium-stearate | excipient | label | | | | GB | | | ^pil | mgst | pil-2015 | | 4 | magnesium stearate | known |
| ingredient/potassium-sorbate | excipient | label | Printed with its E number. | | | GB | | | ^pil | ksorb | pil-2015 | | 5 | potassium sorbate (E202) | known |
<!--/ingredients-->
## Specifications <!--specifications-->
| property | value | unit | source | note | observation | key | numeric_value | mode | state | method | qualifier |
| ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------ | --------------- | ------------- | ---- | ----- | -------- | --------- |
| Paracetamol per tablet | 500 | mg | ^pil | | pil-2015 | | 500 | | known | printed | exact |
| Dosage form | Tablet, white, round and flat | | ^pil | | pil-2015 | | | | known | printed | |
| Tablet marking | PARA and 500 either side of a break line on one face, plain on the other | | ^pil | | pil-2015 | | | | known | printed | |
| Marketing authorisation number | PL 04077/0001 | | ^pil | M & A Pharmachem's licence for Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets, whose leaflet lists a 16-tablet pack; the 2007 entry for this barcode records no PL number, so the tie to this article is inferred. | pil-2015 | licence_number | | | known | inferred | |
| Legal supply category | General sale | | ^pil | The leaflet states packs of 32 are pharmacy-only and packs above 32 prescription-only, which leaves the 16-tablet pack on general sale. | pil-2015 | supply_category | | | known | inferred | |
| Container | 35 mm TRaCer pack, a child-resistant medicine container | | ^oldbp | The wording of the 2007 Barcodepedia entry for this barcode; no other source describing that container was found. | oldsite-2007 | | | | known | printed | |
<!--/specifications-->
## Observations <!--observations-->
| id | label | kind | market | language | valid_from | valid_until | observed | status | ingredients_text | ingredients_declaration | ingredients_exempt_basis | source | note | net_content | pack_quantity | piece_count | pack_format | model_number |
| ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ------ | -------- | ---------- | ----------- | ---------- | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------ | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ------------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------ |
| oldsite-2007 | Pack as recorded by the 2006-2013 Barcodepedia entry | label | GB | en | | | 2007-09-16 | supported | | | | ^oldbp | A contributor typed this from the box in 2007 and no photograph survives, so it is second-hand evidence for identity, pack size and container only; the "Produced in United Kingdom" line on that page was generated from the prefix. | 16 tablets | | 16 | 35 mm child-resistant tablet container ("TRaCer" pack) | |
| pil-2015 | Patient information leaflet, PL 04077/0001, rev. 03/2015 | label | GB | en | 2015-03 | | 2026-09-17 | supported | The active ingredient in each tablet is paracetamol 500mg. The other ingredients are maize starch, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate, potassium sorbate (E202). | listed | | ^pil | The UK-approved leaflet for every pack size under this licence (2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 32, 100, 1000 and 5000 tablets), so it covers this 16-tablet pack; it is eight years later than the 2007 record of this barcode. | | | | | |
<!--/observations-->
## Research gaps <!--research_gaps-->
| observation | domain | state | detail | source |
| ------------ | ------------- | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ |
| | images | unknown | No photograph of this pack exists here or on Open Food Facts, so the wordmark, the printed name and the PL number on the carton are unconfirmed; the brand key follows the marketing authorisation holder's name. | ^off |
| pil-2015 | ingredients | stale | The composition recorded here is the 03/2015 revision of the PL 04077/0001 leaflet; the pack behind this barcode was catalogued in 2007 and may have carried an earlier excipient list. | ^pil |
| | markets | unknown | No retailer listing of EAN 50613182 could be found in 2026, so the date the pack last sold is unknown. | ^off |
| oldsite-2007 | packaging | unknown | "35 mm TRaCer Pack" is the 2007 entry's wording for the container; no independent description of that pack was found. | ^oldbp |
| | relationships | not_applicable | A GTIN-8 carries no GS1 company prefix, since GS1 UK allocates these numbers one at a time, so no gs1_prefix_owner is recorded. | |
<!--/research_gaps-->
## Research <!--research-->
structure_version: 2
reviewed_on: 2026-09-17
note: Built from the wanted queue. Identity from the 2007 Barcodepedia capture of this EAN-8; composition, dosage form and pack sizes from the PL 04077/0001 patient information leaflet; company facts from Companies House and the MHRA.
<!--/research-->
## Meta <!--meta-->
title: Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 16 tablets (M&A Pharmachem) - EAN 50613182
description: The 16-tablet general-sale pack of M & A Pharmachem's Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, barcode EAN-8 50613182: composition, tablet marking, licence PL 04077/0001 and what became of its Bolton maker.
<!--/meta-->
## References <!--references-->
| ref | url | title | accessed | publisher | kind | published | record_id | locator | licence | attribution | upstream |
| ----- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------- | ------------------------------ | ------- | ---------------------------- | -------- |
| oldbp | https://web.archive.org/web/20070916013516/http://en.barcodepedia.com/50613182/paracetamol-tablets | Barcodepedia (2006-2013): "Paracetamol Tablets", EAN-8 50613182, captured 16 September 2007 | 2026-09-17 | Barcodepedia, via the Internet Archive | catalogue | 2007-09-16 | 50613182 | | | | |
| pil | https://imedi.co.uk/paracetamol-tablets-bp-500mg?doc=9 | Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets (PL 04077/0001): patient information leaflet, last revised 03/2015, document PP2420 | 2026-09-17 | iMedi, reproducing the MHRA-approved leaflet | publication | 2015-03 | PL 04077/0001 | Section 6, Further information | | | |
| mhra | https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-2-medicines-recall-m-a-pharmachem-limited-paracetamol-500-mg-tablets-1-x-1000-pl-04077-0001-el-19-a-32 | Class 2 Medicines Recall: M&A Pharmachem Limited Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets, 1 x 1000, PL 04077/0001, EL(19)A/32 | 2026-09-17 | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency | registry | 2019-11-05 | EL(19)A/32 | | | | |
| ch | https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01296451 | M & A PHARMACHEM LIMITED (01296451): company overview | 2026-09-17 | Companies House | registry | | 01296451 | | | | |
| bdesk | https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2092435-bolton-pharma-business-closes-with-loss-of-84-jobs-following-administration | Bolton pharma business closes with loss of 84 jobs following administration | 2026-09-17 | TheBusinessDesk.com | publication | 2022-01-27 | | | | | |
| emc | https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/search?q=M%26A%20Pharmachem | electronic medicines compendium search for "M&A Pharmachem": no search results | 2026-09-17 | Datapharm | catalogue | | | | | | |
| off | https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/0000050613182 | Open Food Facts record for 0000050613182: "Paracetamol", brands M&A, United Kingdom, no photographs | 2026-09-17 | Open Food Facts | catalogue | | 0000050613182 | | ODbL | Open Food Facts contributors | |
<!--/references-->
## About <!--about-->
Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP was the plain generic paracetamol that M & A Pharmachem Ltd of Bolton made and sold in the United Kingdom under marketing authorisation PL 04077/0001; this EAN-8 is its 16-tablet general-sale pack in a child-resistant tablet container.[^oldbp][^pil] The tablets are white, round and flat, scored and marked PARA 500.[^pil]
M & A Pharmachem was incorporated on 1 February 1977 and manufactured paracetamol and opiate medicines until administrators were appointed on 27 January 2022 and its Bolton plant closed with the loss of 84 jobs.[^bdesk] The company was dissolved on 29 April 2026,[^ch] and the licence is no longer published on the electronic medicines compendium,[^emc] so the article is recorded as discontinued. The MHRA had recalled batches of the 1 x 1000 pack under the same licence in 2019 after fungal contamination was found in a few pots.[^mhra] Open Food Facts holds the barcode but no photograph.[^off]
<!--/about-->