Hyderabad: Beware of packed food items

Hyderabad: A picture of a packet of bread manufactured by Karachi Bakery has taken the social media by a storm. The manufacturing date stamped on the packet of bread, which was available for purchase on October 4, is October 5. People have been left doubting the quality of packaged perishables.

In response to the picture, Vineel Mandalika asks on Twitter, “Are you introducing time travel to Hyderabad along with baked goods?”

However, other consumers have not taken the matter so lightly. They say that it is an attempt by the manufacturer to cheat the public, and they want the FSSAI and the GHMC to look into the matter.

The Legal Metrology Department has taken cognizance of the viral photo. Bhaskar Reddy, the Assistant Controller of the Legal Metrology Department for Hyderabad, says, “It’s a way of gaining an extra day to sell the product before its expiry date.”

The packet in question was packaged and labelled at the Bakery’s unit in Uppal. Authorities say that they will conduct a check to see how many such packets have hit the market. A case will be booked against the company for violation of Rule 6(1)D of the Packaged Commodities Rules of Legal Metrology.

Meanwhile, representatives of Karachi Bakery say that the erroneous date was the result of a typographical error and that the company had no intention of selling the bread for an extra day. It is unclear whether the batch has been withdrawn from the market and how many such products there are at present.

Nutritionists say that products such as bread, which contain dairy products as part of their ingredients, must ideally be consumed within 48 hours of manufacture. “Yeast and preservatives which are used in bread can make it harmful for consumption,” says Ms Sujatha Stephen, a nutritionist with Care Hospital. She adds that the consumption of bread past its expiry period can result in diarrhoea, especially among young children.