Kathmandu: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has launched a series of food inspections targeting festival markets across Kathmandu Valley. Utilizing mobile food lab vans, the inspections are aimed at ensuring the safety and quality of food products in compliance with the Food Hygiene and Quality Standards Act, 2024.

On October 3, 2024, the inspection teams visited several food businesses and conducted preliminary sample checks. The findings and subsequent actions were as follows:

• Kavre Dairy, Pepsi-Cola
  Kavre Dairy, which sources milk from Mankamana Milk Processing Center and Kanchan Dairy, was found to have average hygiene standards. No issues were detected in the processed milk and ghee samples.
• AB Typical Thakali, Pepsi-Cola
  The inspection found issues with the bakery shortening used by AB Typical Thakali, although the processed drinking water was deemed safe. The business was instructed to discontinue the use of the non-compliant bakery shortening.
• Golok Dairy, Pepsi-Cola
  Selling both raw and processed milk from Durga Dairy, Golok Dairy had samples tested without any issues detected in either the milk or ghee products.
• Anup Dairy, Pepsi-Cola
  Anup Dairy, sourcing products from Anup Dairy Pvt. Ltd., Kavre, was also cleared, with no issues found in the raw or processed milk and ghee samples.
• Surya Mukhi Dairy Shop, Pepsi-Cola The processed milk from United Dairy and Foods Pvt. Ltd. was found to have quality issues, prompting officials to collect samples for further laboratory analysis.

The department emphasized the importance of these inspections to protect public health during the festive season, which sees a surge in food consumption.