Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 18:

The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC), in the fiscal year 2003-04, registered over fifty cases against manufacturing and business houses engaged in producing or distributing substandard goods in the Valley. According to the DFTQC annual report, fifty-two cases were registered at the Kathmandu District Administration Office during the last fiscal year including 27 for adulterated food production and distribution, 13 related with sub-standard goods and 12 concerned with incomplete labelling. Likewise, the Biratnagar Regional Food Laboratory (RFL) registered 48 cases at the body concerned and the Hetauda RFL registered 14 cases. Pokhara RFL registered 22 cases, the Nepalgunj RFL registered 21 cases and the Dhangadhi RFL registered 34 cases of adulteration of food items at the bodies concerned, the report said.

According to the department, food inspectors across the country have collected and sent 50 samples of suspicious food items for investigation at the DFTQC, 3 samples to Biratnagar RFL, 8 samples to Hetauda RFL, 10 samples to Pokhara RFL and 8 samples to Nepalgunj RFL.

Jiwan Prabha Lama, senior food research officer at the DFTQC, said that food inspectors themselves monitor the market and collect suspicious samples but the consumers are also helping the effort by filing complaint against the suspicious producers and distributors. “The department receives one complaint in a week in average,” another food research officer said.

The department investigates into the samples of suspicious items and, if proven substandard, cases are filed at the district administration offices concerned, which take necessary actions.