Nepal bans import and sale of Indian brand Priyagold biscuits, orders stock off shelves

Eating biscuits with tea is a daily habit for many people in India. Now Priyagold, a popular Indian biscuit brand, has been banned in Nepal. Nepal has prohibited the import, sale and distribution of these biscuits.

Nepali officials have declared the biscuits substandard. The decision followed action by India's food safety regulator, the FSSAI. The company that makes the biscuits, Surya Food and Agro Limited, is accused of serious violations of food safety rules. Nepal has told traders and importers to remove the stock from the market and stop selling it.

On October 19, Nepal's FTQCD issued a notice on the matter, barring the import, sale and distribution of Priyagold biscuits. The department determined that the biscuits do not meet the prescribed quality standards. The decision was based on the FSSAI's action. According to the Nepali department, the step was taken keeping public health and consumer safety in mind. The department has asked the traders and consumers concerned neither to import nor to sell these biscuits.

The most serious issue in the case is said to concern the use of animal feed bran in the biscuits. The FSSAI inspected the plant of Surya Food and Agro Limited. According to the regulator, the inspection found serious lapses in food safety and hygiene. Legal action was then started against the company and its licence was suspended. The action is based on the regulator's complaints and inspection.

Nepal's food department has not only barred the import of new stock but also issued instructions on stock already in the market. It has told authorised importers and food traders to recall immediately any Priyagold biscuits in their stock and remove them. It has also directed them to stop their sale and distribution. This means shopkeepers in Nepal will no longer be able to sell biscuits of this brand.