Consumers can easily save themselves from unwanted hazards by checking expiry date, manufacturing date and contents in the labels of products that they are purchasing, said officials from Department of Commerce (DoC), Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) and Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) at a program on Tuesday.[break]
"If anybody finds faulty, substandard, impure and counterfeit products, consumer can complain on our hotline and we will take necessary actions," said Ananda Raj Bajracharya, joint secretary of MoAC.
Officials suggest consumers not to generalize the findings of the market inspections or perceive that everything in market is inedible. Rather they suggested consumers to be aware while buying the products.
Speaking at a program organized by Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Development Board, a senior official of DFTQC, clarified that recently floated information that fish imported to Nepal are preserved in formalin and are inedible was mere rumor and false.
"We´ve tested fish samples from the Kathmandu Valley, Birgunj and Bhairahawa. We didn´t find presence of formalin in the samples,” the official added.
Traders at the program blamed the media people for not understanding the issue in depth and exaggerating the issue and terrorizing people.
"There is no use of formalin in fishes we sell. Our business has dropped to nil due to negative coverage of the issue by some media,” a fish supplier at the Kalimati market said.
Similarly, fishery experts from Directorate of Fisheries Development, said they didn´t find formalin in fish samples collected across the country during lab tests.
Traders also argued that seasonal vegetables and fruits produced in Nepal do not contain any kind of pesticide residue.
Gaj Bahadur Airee, president of Consumer Rights Protection Forum, said market inspection should be conducted on regular basis. “Apart from controlling anomalies in the market, media and government officials should also disseminate information on food hygiene,” added Airee.
Meanwhile, officials said they are soon conducting inspection at department stores to make sure that products they sell carry labels in languages that local consumers can understand.
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