Dhaka: A mobile court on Wednesday fined Ashwin Foods Limited Tk 3 lakh for multiple violations of the Safe Food Act, 2013, during a joint enforcement drive by the Kaliganj Upazila Administration and the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA).

According to United News of Bangladesh, the operation was led by Zakia Sarwar Lima, Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate of Kaliganj. The team included Farzana Yasmin Sonia, Food Safety Officer at BFSA’s Gazipur office, and the Kaliganj Upazila Food Safety Inspector.

During the inspection, officials discovered that the company provided inaccurate and incomplete information on product labels. There were also failures in ensuring proper labeling and storage of food additives, as highlighted in a press release.

Additionally, the factory could not produce laboratory test reports or shelf-life study documents to support the 30-day expiry period claimed for its bread products. Inspectors noted the presence of uncovered food products and flies inside the factory, pointing to inadequate hygiene standards.

Further violations included the absence of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Certificates of Analysis (CoA) for food additives. The company also failed to provide evidence of the proper use of food additives in production or to preserve invoices and purchase records for food products. Food samples were collected from the factory for laboratory analysis, officials stated.