Meridian Food Products among 2 companies fined Tk43 lakh in Chattogram

5,000 kilograms of noodles of Meridian Food Products was destroyed during the drive

TBS Report

03 October, 2020, 08:15 pm

Last modified: 03 October, 2020, 08:40 pm

The officials of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and the Rapid Action Battalion jointly raided the factories of Meridian Food Products and BPS Food Products in Chattogram Kalurghat area and fined them Tk43 lakh for various anomalies. Photo: TBS

A mobile court has imposed a total fine of Tk43 lakh on Meridian Food Products and BSP Food Products Pvt Ltd for using expired food colouring and flavours past their expiry dates, and for running production without license.

The drive was jointly conducted by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), which was led by RAB Executive Magistrate, Polash Kumar Basu, BSTI field officer of Chattogram office, Md Ashiquzzaman, and Senior Inspector, Mamunur Rahman.

During the drive at Meridian Food Products' Kalurghat factory, officials found no licenses for the production of sauces, soft drinks and noodles, for which the company was fined Tk1 lakh under BSTI Act, and an additional Tk1 lakh under the packaging act of Bangladesh. Under the Food Safety Act, the company was also fined Tk20 lakh for using food colouring and flavours past their expiry dates.

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In addition, 5,000 kilograms of noodles was destroyed during the drive.

The mobile court fined BSP Food Products Pvt Ltd Tk1 lakh as the company was found to be producing vegetable ghee, noodles and sauce without any license from BSTI. It was also fined under the Food Safety Act Tk20 lakh for using flavours past their expiry date.

Officials also destroyed 2,000 kilograms of ghee during the drive.

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