A total of 331 packets of substandard iodised salt produced by Confidence Salt Limited were destroyed on Monday following a Dhaka Pure Food Court order after the company withdrew the low-iodine batch from the market.
The destruction took place behind Nagar Bhaban in the presence of court officials and company representatives after the batch of salt was produced before the court, said Dhaka South City Corporation Food Inspector Kamrul Hasan, adding that Confidence Salt Senior Executive Officer Osman Gani was present.
The court had earlier ordered the destruction after Confidence Salt owner Sadiul Islam voluntarily pleaded guilty, prompting the Dhaka Pure Food Court to impose a Tk3 lakh fine and instruct the company to withdraw the substandard batch, identified as Batch No. M3 A11, from the market and inform the court in writing.
The case stemmed from laboratory tests that found the company’s iodised vacuum salt unsafe and below standard due to insufficient iodine content.
On November 30, 2023, inspectors from Dhaka South City Corporation collected a salt sample during an on-the-spot inspection at a grocery shop in the Tilpapara area of Khilgaon, which was later tested at the Modern Food Laboratory and Training Centre.
According to the test report signed by a food analyst of the Bangladesh Safe Food Authority, sodium chloride content was within the permissible limit at 99.67 per cent, while iodine content stood at 13 parts per million, below the required range of 20 to 50 parts per million.
Based on these findings, the salt was declared substandard and unsafe under the Safe Food Act 2013, leading to legal action against Confidence salt.
