Food Safety Department Tightens Regulations on Import and Quality Control

Kathmandu. The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has tightened controls on food import-export and quality regulation. In the mid-year report for the fiscal year 2082/83 made public by the department on Thursday, it was mentioned that activities ranging from import permit issuance to pesticide testing have been made stricter.

The department issued import permits for 7,873 food items in the first six months of the current fiscal year. However, 229 consignments, including spices, raw oil, vitamin premixes, rice, noodles, sesame oil, liquid glucose, among others, had their permits revoked due to incomplete required documents, missing full label details, or failure to meet service recipient demands, informed department spokesperson Dr. Balkumari Sharma.

The spokesperson informed that the department provides online services for import permits through the Nepal National Single Window System. The department has facilitated exports by issuing laboratory tests and health certificates for export purposes. Spokesperson Dr. Sharma stated that certificates were issued for the export of various food items such as churpi, chiura, pickles, spice products, fresh ginger, honey, processed vegetable oil, tea, and coffee to various countries.

The department has also strictly implemented rapid pesticide testing (RBPR) for imported vegetables and fruits. Spokesperson Sharma informed that out of 34,855 samples tested in the first six months of the current fiscal year, 19 samples were found to be adverse. According to her, out of 1,253 samples collected from major vegetable and fruit markets in the Kathmandu Valley for the domestic market, one sample of mustard greens (rayo ko saag) was found adverse at Sitapaila.