Bagmati Sweets Production Halted Over Hygiene Violations

Kathmandu. Production and sales at Bagmati Sweets Pvt. Ltd., located in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-11, have been halted. This action was taken after a joint monitoring team from the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control and the District Administration Office, Kathmandu, discovered serious negligence at the facility.

During a surprise inspection, severe issues regarding hygiene and quality were found at the sweet industry. According to the Department, almonds prepared for dry fruit packing were found to be infested with insects. The team immediately seized and destroyed approximately 5 kg of infested almonds. The cleanliness of the food production factory was found to be extremely poor and unsatisfactory. Furthermore, the pest control management at the facility was found to be ineffective.

In accordance with the Food Hygiene and Quality Act, 2081, the Department has ordered a complete halt to production and sales from the Bagmati Sweets factory until further notice. For further investigation, the team collected samples of the infested almonds and mixed dry fruits and sent them to the laboratory. According to Department spokesperson Dr. Bal Kumari Sharma, the industry has been directed to rectify the mentioned deficiencies and appear at the Department within three days with proof of improvements.

Photos released by the Department show that the industry's kitchen and storage rooms are extremely dirty, and workers were observed failing to follow minimum health standards. The Department stated that surveillance will be increased on industries that gamble with consumer health.