A batch of the popular Lotte Choco Pie has been declared “unsafe” for human consumption in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district after a laboratory test found preservatives above the prescribed limit, prompting an immediate ban on its sale, storage and distribution and triggering steps for a wider recall.
The sample was collected by the Food Safety Officer of the Food and Drug Administration, Durg, and sent for testing to Cali Lab Pvt. Ltd in Bhopal. The finding has led the district administration to prohibit the sale, storage and distribution of the identified batch across Durg with immediate effect. Food distributors, wholesalers and retailers have been directed to stop dealing in the batch and isolate any available stock. “A sample sent from our district tested ‘unsafe’, so a complete ban on that specific batch has been imposed within the district.
The Commissioner has been informed so that a ban can be enforced across the state,” Jitendra Kumar Nele, Designated Officer, Food and Drug Administration, Durg, told NDTV.
The laboratory report dated July 21 found preservatives in excess of the permitted limit and classified the product as “unsafe” under the Food Safety and Standards Act, according to the official order issued on August 13. Business operators have also been told to initiate a recall wherever stocks remain and inform the Food Safety Commissioner and district authorities in the prescribed format.
