Dhaka, May 15 -The Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI) pn Wednesday
An office order of BSTI, signed by its director (CM) Engr M Ishaq Ali said that the licenses of a total of seven products were cancelled and 18 products were suspended as the companies owning those products didn’t reply against the BSTI issued show-cause notices.
The products whose licenses were cancelled are: Al Safi drinking water of Al Safi Drinking Water, Mirpur, Narzan drinking water of Shahari and Brothers, West Rampura Morn Dew drinking water of Morn Dew Pure Drinking Water, Mirpur, RR Dew drinking water of RR Dew Purifying Drinking, West Sheorapara, Tasty, Tani, Taskia soft drink powder of Shanto Food Product, Keraniganj and Banalata Ghee of Banalata Food Ltd, Mirpur.
The products whose licenses were withheld are: Teer mustard oil of City Oil Mill, Konapara, Gazipur, GB mustard oil of Green Bleaching Vegetable Oil Industries Ltd, Rupganj, Narayanganj, Pusti mustard oil of Shabnam Vegetable Oil Industries Ltd, Rupganj, Narayanganj, Rupchanda mustard oil of Bangladesh Edible Oil Ltd, Roopganj, Narayanganj, Arra drinking water of Arra Food and Beverage Ltd, Uttara, Duncan natural mineral water of Duncan Product Ltd, Dhaka, Dighi Drinking Water of Dighi, Dhaka, Pran vermicelli of Pran Agro Ltd, Sopura, Rajshahi, Danish turmeric powder of Danish Food Ltd, Kachpur, Narayanganj, Pran turmeric powder of Pran Agro Ltd, Natore, Fresh turmeric powder of Tanvir Food Ltd, Meghnaghat, Sonargaon, Narayanganj, Molla salt of Molla Salt Industry (unit-2), Char Sayedpur, Narayanganj, Pran curry powder of Pran Agro Ltd, Natore, Danish curry powder of Danish Food Ltd, Kachpur, Narayanganj, ACI Pure coriander power of ACI Food Ltd. Sirjganj, Doodles noodles of New
Zealand Dairy Products BD Ltd, Roopganj, Narayanganj, Sun Chips of Kashem Food Products Ltd, Gazipur and ACI iodised salt of ACI Salt Ltd, Roopganj, Narayanganj.
Talking with journalists, Reazul Haque, deputy director of BSTI said, the licenses of the seven products have been cancelled as they didn’t conduct “any sort of communication with the BSTI.” Those companies have to re-apply to get BSTI certification for those products.
About withholding licenses of 18 products, Reazul said the companies owning those has asked BSTI to re-examine their products from a different batch rather than the sample batch on which BSTI conducted
their examination.
“Those companies informed us that all of their products batches are not substandard and they have asked us to re-examine products from different batches. That’s why we didn’t cancel their licenses, rather withheld those. If our further examination finds satisfactory results, then their licenses will be reinstated,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has given a four-day deadline to the companies to remove the products from the market. After four days, vigilance teams from the BFSA will conduct drives in the market and will take punitive measures against the companies which don’t remove their products from the market.
The companies as well as the shop owners yesterday had a meeting with the Industry Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun and BSTI Director General Mohammad Muazzem Hossain about the removal of 52 products from market which according to them “is not possible, especially during this month of Ramadan.”
Talking with The Independent, Helal Uddin, President of Bangladesh Shop Owners Association (BSOA) said they have urged the industry ministry and BSTI to consider some of the criteria basing on which the
products were declared substandard.
“For example, mustard oil; BSTI has cancelled licenses of mustard oil of Teer and Rupchanda because they found over 0.7 ml iron in per liter oil. The BSTI approved standard is 0.5ml per liter. But the problem is
since Urea fertilizer is used in the field to grow mustard oil, finding such a high level of iron can’t be evaded,” said Helal Uddin.” – Staff Reporter
