Banned products being sold amid festival rush
BUTWAL, OCT 04 -
The government has intensified market inspection activities in various parts of the country with a focus on the quality of goods being sold in the market. However, contaminated ghee and edible oil are being sold openly in retail shops and ‘haat bazaars’ taking advantage of spiralling festival demand.
Such tainted products include brands that have been banned by the government and are also prohibited in the Indian market. Although the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has declared the B&B brand of Bouddha Nath Ghee Industry, New Raman of Om Raman Ghee Industry, Kanhaiya of Kanhaiya Ghee Packaging and Seto of Bajrabarahi Ghee Industry to be substandard, these brands are getting a good market for lack of monitoring and awareness among buyers and comparatively cheaper prices.
Currently, ghee prices range from Rs 450 to Rs 475 per kg. However, the substandard ghee brands are being sold at Rs 250 to Rs 300 per kg. The food quality department had declared B&B, New Raman and Seto brands of ghee as being substandard as they were being sold in the market as pure ghee by mixing vegetable ghee and animal fat. Likewise, various Indian edible oil brands including Mohan and Chakra are being sold freely in retail shops and “haat bazaars” held in Butwal weekly. These brands are available at Rs 20- Rs 50 per litre, but they have been banned in the India for being contaminated.
Traders said that they were not aware about the ban and customers too buy such products as they are cheaper. Rajan Shrestha, a ghee trader, said that no one had directed them to stop selling certain brands of ghee and edible oil. “Customers too have said nothing about the products we sell,” he added.
According to food experts, consumption of adulterated ghee and oils is hazardous to health. Manufacturers and traders are found mixing mainly vegetable ghee and animal fat in ghee. Sales of substandard products have increased in remote districts as there is no information dissemination to these places about the banned products. Norbu Lama, a consumer rights activist, said that sales of low quality and contaminated food items were rampant for lack of effective checks by the government at the district level and consumer awareness.
“The problem has increased for the failure of the government to remove products declared to be substandard through monitoring,” he added. Local district administration offices, consumer rights forums and food technology offices have being issuing notices occasionally not to buy products having no brands and no manufacturing or expiry date and products that are available at a cheaper rate. But their efforts have been fruitless as shown by the increase in the import of products that are banned in India by taking advantage of the open border in Rupendehi.
Kishor Khatri, chief of the Food Technology and Quality Control Office, Rupendehi, said that they had increased inspection in the market following complaints about sales of substandard and prohibited products. He added that since the district monitoring committee too had started inspection, wrongdoers in the market would be punished as per the law.
Source: Kantipur
The government has intensified market inspection activities in various parts of the country with a focus on the quality of goods being sold in the market. However, contaminated ghee and edible oil are being sold openly in retail shops and ‘haat bazaars’ taking advantage of spiralling festival demand.
Such tainted products include brands that have been banned by the government and are also prohibited in the Indian market. Although the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has declared the B&B brand of Bouddha Nath Ghee Industry, New Raman of Om Raman Ghee Industry, Kanhaiya of Kanhaiya Ghee Packaging and Seto of Bajrabarahi Ghee Industry to be substandard, these brands are getting a good market for lack of monitoring and awareness among buyers and comparatively cheaper prices.
Currently, ghee prices range from Rs 450 to Rs 475 per kg. However, the substandard ghee brands are being sold at Rs 250 to Rs 300 per kg. The food quality department had declared B&B, New Raman and Seto brands of ghee as being substandard as they were being sold in the market as pure ghee by mixing vegetable ghee and animal fat. Likewise, various Indian edible oil brands including Mohan and Chakra are being sold freely in retail shops and “haat bazaars” held in Butwal weekly. These brands are available at Rs 20- Rs 50 per litre, but they have been banned in the India for being contaminated.
Traders said that they were not aware about the ban and customers too buy such products as they are cheaper. Rajan Shrestha, a ghee trader, said that no one had directed them to stop selling certain brands of ghee and edible oil. “Customers too have said nothing about the products we sell,” he added.
According to food experts, consumption of adulterated ghee and oils is hazardous to health. Manufacturers and traders are found mixing mainly vegetable ghee and animal fat in ghee. Sales of substandard products have increased in remote districts as there is no information dissemination to these places about the banned products. Norbu Lama, a consumer rights activist, said that sales of low quality and contaminated food items were rampant for lack of effective checks by the government at the district level and consumer awareness.
“The problem has increased for the failure of the government to remove products declared to be substandard through monitoring,” he added. Local district administration offices, consumer rights forums and food technology offices have being issuing notices occasionally not to buy products having no brands and no manufacturing or expiry date and products that are available at a cheaper rate. But their efforts have been fruitless as shown by the increase in the import of products that are banned in India by taking advantage of the open border in Rupendehi.
Kishor Khatri, chief of the Food Technology and Quality Control Office, Rupendehi, said that they had increased inspection in the market following complaints about sales of substandard and prohibited products. He added that since the district monitoring committee too had started inspection, wrongdoers in the market would be punished as per the law.
Source: Kantipur
