Popular brands of oil, drinking water, vermicelli, salt and powdered spices of at least 52 companies have been found substandard after being tested in scientific labs. Such products pose a threat to public health. Among the top companies whose products have been found substandard are Pran, Danish, Well Food, Duncan, ACI Pure, Molla Salt Industries, City Oil Mill, Bangladesh Edible Oil Ltd and Kashem Food Products Ltd.

Government officials have already issued showcause notices against the owners of these companies. In case they unable to provide a satisfactory reply, the owners will face the music for flooding the market with their substandard products through advertising gimmick.

On the other hand, environmentalists appreciated the government’s move. They demanded that responsible persons should be given exemplary punishment so that others do not dare to adulterate or supply substandard products.

The surveillance team of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) collected 406 samples of 27 types of popular food products in the last two months. These samples were tested in the BSTI lab.  

Out of these samples, BSTI received the results of the tests for 313 samples. As many as 52 samples have been found of substandard quality as they failed in the parameter tests.

Among the trendy food products are Teer mustard oil of City Oil Mill, GB mustard oil of Green Bleaching Vegetable Oil Industries Ltd, Pusti mustard oil of Shamnam Vegetable Oil Industries Ltd, Rupchanda mustard oil of Bangladesh Edible Oil Ltd, Sun chips of Kashem Food  Products Ltd, Ara drinking water of Arra Food and Beverage Ltd, Al Safi Drinking Water, Mizan drinking water of Shahari and Brothers, Morn Dew drinking water of Morn Dew Pure Drinking Water Section, Duncan natural mineral water

of Duncan Product Ltd., RR Dew drinking water of RR Dew Purifying Drinking, Dighi Drinking Water, Pran vermicelli  of Pran Agro Ltd, Dudli noodles of New Zealand Dairy Products BD Ltd, Tasty, Tani, Taskia soft drink powder of Shanto Food Product, Priya soft drink powder of Jahangir Food Products, Danish turmeric powder of Danish Food Ltd., Pran turmeric powder of Pran Agro Ltd, Fresh turmeric powder of Tanvir Food Products.

Other products are ACI Pure coriander power of ACI Food Ltd., Pran curry powder of Pran Agro Ltd, Danish curry powder of Danish Food Ltd, Banalata Ghee of Banalata Food Ltd, Pure Hathazari chili powder of SS Consumer Products, Mishtimela vermicelli of Mishtimela Food Products, Madhuban vermicelli of Madhuban Bread and Biscuit Industry Private Ltd, Mithai vermicelli of Mithai Sweets and Bakery, Oil food vermicelli of Well Food and Beverage Co., ACI iodised salt of ACI Salt Ltd, Molla salt of Molla Salt Industry (unit-2), King flour of KR Food Industries Ltd, Rupsa fermented milk (curd) of Rusha Food Products, Mokka chanachur of Taiyeba Food Products, Mehedi biscuit of Imtiaz Bread and Food Products, Baghabari special ghee of Baghabari Special Ghee Co, suji of Messrs Nishita Foods, vermicelli of Messrs Madhuban and Products, turmeric power of Messrs Manjil Food and Products, Madhumati iodised salt of Madhumati Salt Industries, Sun turmeric powder of Sun Food, Greenlane honey of Greenlane Milk Products, Kiron vermicelli of Messrs Kiron Traders, Dolphin chili and turmeric powder of Messrs Abbas Ali Mudi Dokan, Surja chili powder of Messrs Rafiq Store, Jeddah vermicelli of Messrs Jeddah Food Industries, Amrit vermicelli of Messrs Amrit Food Products, Dada super iodised salt of Messrs New Jhalakathi Salt Mills, Tin Teer of iodised salt of Messrs Quality Salt Industries, Madina, Starship iodised salt of Messrs Lucky Salt Industries, Taaj iodised salt of Messrs Taaj Salt Industries and Noor Special iodised salt of Messrs Noor Salt.

Drawing attention to the BSTI report about his vermicelli product as substandard, Well Food and Beverage Company managing director Nurul Islam told The Independent that his product absolutely maintained quality. “My product is absolutely fine. If anything goes wrong with the product, I will pick it up from the market. I’ll reply when I will receive the showcause notice,” he added.

Senior manager of Pran Agro Ltd, Touhidul Islam, said they still did not receive any showcause notice regarding the claim of BSTI that their vermicelli, turmeric powder and curry powder were substandard. “We are yet to receive any such notice. We will see the matter and give our reply,” he added.

Meanwhile, industries minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, at a press conference in his ministry, yesterday said they have served showcause notices against the companies in this regard.

He also said legal action would be taken against the responsible persons for supplying substandard products which pose threat to public health.

The minister further said the mobile teams will conduct drives during  Ramadan to prevent dishonest businessmen and sellers from supplying and selling substandard products.

Besides, BSTI and Dhaka district administration will conduct three drives in the capital every day, while two drives will be conducted in district towns and upazilas. In total, 10 mobile courts of BSTI will conduct drives through 10 regional, divisional and district offices.

State minister for industries ministry, Kalam Ahmed Majumder, said legal action would be taken against those who would supply adulterated and substandard foods during Ramadan.

BSTI director general Muazzem Hossain said: “It’s the duty of BSTI to ensure quality of the products. BSTI typically increases the anti-adulteration drives during Ramadan.”

Abu Naser Khan, chairman of  Save the Environment Movement, told The Independent: “Though we haven’t been able to curb the supply of substandard and adulterated products and food to a great degree, some kind of awareness has been created among people and the government against such products and their manufacturers.”

“Substandard and adulterated food destroys public health. We demand for toxin-free and qualify food products for saving our health. Besides, we demand for exemplary punishment of the responsible persons for supplying substandard and adulterated food products,” he added.