------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be BETTER INFORMED ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------- Josh Gutka packet in a Mountain Dew bottle GOACAN files complaint with FDA ------------------------------------------------------ The next time you are offered a Mountain Dew soft drink beware there are chances that you would be a privileged consumer to be served with a heady mix of Josh Gutkha. This is exactly what happened in Cuncolim to a High School teacher when she attended a Super School Complex meeting organised by a Higher Secondary School. The 200ml. sealed bottle of Mountain Dew offered to her contained an opened Josh Gutka packet and the straw provided the ready mix of soft drink and gutka. ** What transpired at the refreshments break of the meeting was that the Canteen in the School complex brought in the crates of soft drinks, opened the bottles at the venue and inserted straws and served them to the teachers. This scenario could have occurred at any party, wedding, conference or at a restaurant. The bottle not being made of plain/transparent glass made it difficult for the consumer to be aware of the possible foreign contents in the bottle. ** After complaining of a burning sensation, other teachers and the Heads of the respective institutions were alerted and on sealing the bottle, a written complaint accompanying the bottle was sent to GOACAN through the Consumer Club in the school and the Consumer Forum in the village. ** In its letter to the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) GOACAN has demanded that necessary action be taken against the manufacturers of the soft drink so that such incidents are not repeated. ** Acting on the GOACAN complaint the DFDA Dy. Director and Local Health Authority Mr. Salim A Veljee has taken up the matter with the Dy. Director Ministry of Food Processing, Mumbai for action under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 and Rules as the soft drink has been manufactured by M/s Goa Bottling Company Ltd. Arlem, Goa and has been issued a FPO licence No. 2912.
GOACAN has made inquiries with Restaurants and Distributors and found that there have been cases with other soft drink brands wherein glass pieces, shaving blades, plastic pieces and even dried leaves have been found in sealed bottles. ** With the 14 lakh local population and the over 25 lakh tourist arrivals in to the State, GOACAN is concerned that possibly quality standards are getting compromised due to the manufacturers & bottlers unable to handle the demand with proper supply as per rules & procedures in force. During this summer GOACAN calls upon consumers to be extra careful when consuming bottled and tetra packed soft drinks for possible violations of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act & Rules in force by the respective packers and immediately inform the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration, Old IPHB Complex, Altinho, Panaji 403 001, Tel. No. 2430948 or 2220245 with a copy by post to GOACAN Complaints Cell Post Box 187 Margao 403 601 or by email to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. ---------------------------------------------------------- GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ---------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------
