Festival market monitoring: 128 commercial firms inspected in two weeks

KATHMANDU, Sept 30: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC), along with its regional offices, has intensified market monitoring in preparation for the upcoming Dashain, Tihar and Chhath festivals.

Spokesperson for the DFTQC Mohan Krishna Maharjan reported that 128 food industries and businesses were inspected  in the last two weeks of September as per the provision of Food Safety and Quality Act, 2081. The inspection covered 61 grocery stores and marts, 41 hotels and restaurants, 24 food industries, and two dietary supplement firms.

In Lalitpur alone, 23 food businesses were monitored. The Dhapakhel-based Pachali Bhairav Water Processing Udhyog was temporarily shut down after failing to meet the Directives on Production of Processed Drinking Water 2074. Samples were collected from the industry and the facility was sealed. Similarly, Sunrise Nepal Food and Beverages Pvt Ltd, in Tokha Municipality-6, was found operating without a renewed license and illegally filling jars under a different brand. The processing room was sealed, and the company was instructed to renew its license.

During another inspection, Arjun Dairy Pvt Ltd, located in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-11, New Baneshwar, was sealed after contaminated butter (nauni), ghee, and cheese were discovered and destroyed in its facility. The discarded items included 240 kg of butter, 25 kg of cheese, and 44 kg of ghee.

In Godawari Municipality-11, Lalitpur, 95 kg of substandard ghee was destroyed, while ‘Parvati Food Products’ in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-9, Sinamangal, saw the destruction of 80 kg of ghee and 30 kg of butter due to low score in quality-analysis. In addition, various food items, including six expired bags of chowmein, 60 kg of mislabeled or improperly stored food, two kg of over-colored puri, four kg of biscuits, biryani masala, honey, millet flour, and 51 bottles of drinks, totaling an estimated worth of Rs 10,850, were destroyed.

The department has urged food vendors to uphold hygiene and quality standards, ensuring proper labeling, cleanliness, organized storage, and the separation of expired products. It also instructed businesses to refrain from using newspapers for food storage, prevent pest infestations, and not operate without a valid permit.