Bangladesh Food Safety Authority in Chattogram has fined 19 establishments Tk9.25 lakh for producing and selling food using adulterated, rotten and low-quality ingredients in the port city. A person was arrested after a case was filed against the owner of a spice manufacturing establishment under Special Powers Act.
The day-long drive was conducted on Saturday in Bali Arcade in Chawkbazar, Lalkhan Bazar and Chaktai-Khatunganj areas of the city. The operation was led by Mohammad Mostafa, Metropolitan Magistrate and First-Class Magistrate of Pure Food Court, Chattogram Metropolitan Area.
According to the food safety office, the drive found adulterated food, rotten ingredients, unhygienic production conditions and other irregularities at different establishments. The firms were fined through summary judicial proceedings.
Chattogram Metropolitan Food Safety Officer Mohammad Farhan Islam said 19 food production and sales establishments were fined Tk9.25 lakh for various irregularities.
Highway Sweets and Bakery was fined Tk3 lakh for making sweetmeats with low-quality ghee, selling toast and biscuits without quality control, storing chhana in unclean containers, damp floors and cockroach presence.
Jasim Spice Mill faced allegations of making spices with sawdust, using unauthorised colours, producing spices with dirty and rotten chillies and not cooperating with officials during the operation. A case was filed under Special Powers Act and one was arrested in this regard.
For rotten food and expired items, KFC was fined Tk50,000, Fuchka Khadok Tk30,000, Elegant Bam Tk50,000, Fuchkawala and Juicebar Tk50,000 and The Munch Guy was fined Tk30,000. The violations included using rotten potatoes, mangoes, carrots, meat, mushrooms and expired products.
For unhygienic food handling, storage and kitchen conditions, Street Eats was fined Tk30,000, Grill Master and Papacino Tk50,000, Delhi Darbar and Salad Lovers Tk1 lakh, Chilis Tk30,000, 9 Candle 2.0 Tk25,000, The Waffle Tk10,000, Tomyam Tk10,000 and The Chicken Box was fined Tk25,000.
The violations included storing raw and cooked food together, using burnt oil, serving food on newspaper, keeping food in unclean containers, storing blood-stained chicken, maintaining unhygienic environments and keeping expired items.
For storing low-quality, expired or contaminated ingredients, Lazzat was fined Tk50,000, The Bone China Tk25,000, and Waffle King was fined Tk10,000. The violations included using expired chicken, breadcrumbs, low-quality sauce, rotten nuts and blood-stained chicken bones and meat.
Hotdog and Co. was fined Tk50,000 for selling pangas fish as “dory fish” and storing blood-stained bones and meat and expired yeast.
