NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Aug 9 - Adulterated candies, chocolates, wafers and confectionary of various flavours are being sold in North Lakhimpur with impunity, alleged Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti and Hindu Youth Council of Assam�s local unit.
In a press meet held recently in North Lakhimpur Press Club, the leaders of these two organisations accused the Lakhimpur district Food and Health departments of complicity in checking the sale of such products.
According to Lakhimpur MASS secretary, around 500 brands of food products of suspicious origin are readily available in the markets of the district. The leaders also displayed around 50 such products, along with a list, which were purchased by the activists from around 10 retail outlets of the markets here.
Addressing mediapersons, Lakhimpur MASS secretary Raju Singha produced some of these food products, which include, �Big Grunch� manufactured by New Okan, �Mix Fruit� by Sonu, �Kissan Mixture� by Matar, �Spiderman Chapata� by Ghosh Food, �Macau Pan� by SBM Foods, �Moto Patlu� by GRC Biscuits, �Moto Patlu� by Dip Sticks, �Pratima� by Pratima, �Motor� by DP Daulat, �Ice Lolly� by Fresh Food Indust, �Big En Joy� by Mr Sweet, �Football� by Kamco, �Candy� by KIM, �Peanut Bar� by New Eagle, �Borfi, Ladu Kaju� by Jyoti Sweets, �Chana� by Swastik Badam, �Candy� by Shiv Sapan, �20 Anna Chana� by Krisna, �Choco Club� by Hugs and �Milk Peda� by Chetan Sweets.
�Most of these products are popular among children. But shockingly, the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) number on the label of most of these products do not exist,� said Singha. He also alleged that the licences of some companies had already expired and some of the products did not state anything about the standard of their products.
The MASS leader said that the FSSAI number record of New Okan company producing �Big Grunc�h, Matar company producing �Kissan Mixture� and Ghosh Food producing �Spiderman Chatpata� were not found while the licence of Sonu company producing �Mix Fruit� and SBM Food producing �Macau Pan� had already expired.
Moreover, GRC Biscuits producing �Moto Patlu� has no chocolate permit. The manufacturing date and their period of use were also not printed on the cover of most of these products, said Singha.
The MASS and HYCA leaders also came down heavily on the Food Safety and Health Department officials in the press meet. The organisations also demanded the district administration to take steps against these adulterated, unsafe food products immediately or be ready to confront a strong agitation.
On Thursday, the MASS and HYCA submitted a memorandum to the Lakhimpur Deputy Commissioner requesting him to take immediate action on the sale of unsafe and adulterated food products in the district.
