CMO Kohima cautions consumers against unlabeled products

Directs distributors, suppliers to immediately stop supply of such goods

Dimapur, September 11 (MExN): The Chief Medical Office Kohima today cautioned consumers against ‘misbranded’ and unlabeled imported food products, particularly from Myanmar, to prevent “eventuality of any food poisoning.”

It also directed those distributing or supplying such products in the market to “immediately stop the distribution/supply” and retailers to return their purchased stock.

Failure to comply will lead to the initiation of necessary action under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, Rules & Regulations, 2011, informed a press release from the Chief Medical Office & Designated Officer Kohima, Dr.Ritu Thurr.

Illegal entry of food products

The CMO, in the release, noted that Myanmar Food Products are illegally entering the market contravening the aforementioned Act.

The State Commissioner of Food Safety had also issued an order on June 22 stating that “no person shall import into India any article of food in contravention of any other provision of the Act or any rule or regulation made thereunder or any other Act.”

In pursuance of the order, the apple and grape juice products with the brand names such as ‘Soo Te’, ‘Power’ etc are flooding the market “with no date of manufacture, no best before date, and no name of the manufacturer,” it stated.

“The Food Business Operators disclosed that these juices are Myanmar products and it is being distributed in the market through some distributors/suppliers in Kohima,” the release said. “These are all misbranded imported food products, and in the eventuality of any food poisoning, it will not be possible to implicate the manufacturers/producers.”

Since there is no importer name or address on the package, there will be none to blame or take action, it added.

Retailers directed to return products

In this connection, the CMO also directed the retailers “to return the stated food products to the concerned distributor/supplier” else they would be liable “to be penalized as per the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, Rules & Regulations, 2011” if it is found in their business premises.

Meanwhile, the general public was also informed to be aware and alert on such issue.

Check the product labels before purchasing any food products. In the case of food products imported into India, it should have the name and complete address of the importer in India on the package or on the containers, the CMO said in the release.

If there is any case of food poisoning with a particular imported food, necessary action can be taken through the importer, it added.

Besides imported food products, the CMO also noted that Indian or Local food products “should also have the information such as manufacturing date, best before date and the name, address of the manufacturer.”

Any complaint in regard to food can be reported to the Chief Medical Office, the release informed.