According to Deputy Food Safety Commissioner Tekcham Brojendro Khaba Meitei, a team of Food Safety officials raided some shops in Khwairamband Keithel on April 25 and confiscated large quantity of the fruit juice bottles.
Speaking to newspersons at his office chamber attached to the Directorate of Health Services, Lamphel today Brojendro said both the fruit drinks had labels citing Asham Beverages, Assam as the production centre.
Maintaining that the fruit drinks were found to be substandard and unfit for consumption, he informed that on being contacted, an Assam State Food Safety official said there is no fruit juice manufacturing unit by the name of Asham Beverages.
Moreover, shopkeepers from whom the bottles were seized also conveyed that hawkers supplied both the fruit juice brands to them, said Brojendro.
Pointing out that as per guidelines of Food Safety Standard Authority every packaged or bottled food/fruit items should carry 'food product order' number, clearly specify the ingredients such as protein and carbohydrate contents, ensure the bottle caps are firmly sealed and covered, the Commissioner disclosed that none of these mandatory guidelines were found on the fruit juice bottles confiscated from the State's main commercial centre.
In addition to violation of the established norms, Swaad and I-cool litchi drinks were found to have solid particles inside the bottles with the exterior moist/sticky thereby suggesting that the seals were defective, he explained.
Cautioning that consumption of such sub-standard consumer goods poses threat to health and urging the general public to contact Food Safety office if they doubt authenticity of food items, Brojendro also warned shopkeepers of punitive action is case they continue to trade substandard goods.
No comments:
Post a Comment