Kathmandu, July 6
Buying lollypop for yourself or your children? If yes, you better beware, for they may contain harmful chemicals.
National Consumer Forum warned at a press conference on Tuesday that ‘Goodlife Glopop’ lollypops, a product of Duhabi-based Asian Biscuits and Confectionery Private Limited, contains inedible ingredients.
The forum said at the press conference that four schoolchildren from Sanosri, Taratal municipality-5, Bardiya district, fell ill after savouring these lollypops. The sale of these lollypops has been going on unabated, the forum said, urging the government of Nepal to ban the distribution and sale of the lollypops as they pose a threat to child health.
The forum said it conducted tests in response to complaints that children had taken ill after having those lollypops.
The tests confirmed that the products in question contained inedible stuffs.
President of the forum, Prem Lal Maharjan, said the tests found existence of maleic acid in the products. The combination of apple juice and the acid, used in making lollypops, can even cause throat complications and throat cancer in the long run, the forum stated.
The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has prepared a report on the matter. It has pointed that the stuff inside lollypop sticks is inedible.
About three weeks ago, the department had directed the company to stop the production of such inedible stuffs and told it to recall the products from the market, Maharjan said. Despite this, the distribution and sale of these lollypops has been continuing in Jhapa, Sunsari, Morang, Syangja, Kaski, Parbat, Baglung, Myagdi, Banke and Bardiya districts, he said.
Despite our efforts, the department directed the firm concerned to stop the production of these lollypops and recall the products already in the market, Maharjan said. So, three weeks ago, we wrote it to initiate legal action against the firm.
