Kathmandu, October 2
Market monitors in the capital have found that Vishal Group, a big conglomerate in Nepal, has been selling food items past their expiry dates, by attaching fake labels.
A joint operation led by the Metropolitan Crime Division and the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection Management found that the group was selling date-expired chocolates, biscuits, and potato chips by relabelling them.
An official involved in the monitoring says, “Extending expiry dates seriously ruins public health.”
The group has been importing products from several popular brands such as Snickers chocolates, Oreo biscuits and Pringles chips and distributing them across Nepal.
The team also arrested nine persons and confiscated a machine used to label the packets. They were found to be attaching fake labels.
The monitors also sealed off a warehouse storing the goods worth Rs 10 million on Thursday.
Sources in the department say a further investigation into the case is underway. “We expect other details to unfold as the investigation progresses,” an official says.
