Nepal's food safety watchdog filed 121 cases in the last fiscal year against firms for exceeding the permissible limit of adulterants, falling behind quality standards, and violating labelling and food laws.

The number of such cases has increased from 115 in the previous fiscal year 2021-22 and 100 cases in fiscal 2020-21, the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control said.

The rising incidence of action being taken against offending companies shows that food safety violations are spreading, analysts said.

Among the 121 cases filed in the last fiscal year, 21 cases were related to processed drinking water, 17 were related to milk and dairy products, and 16 were related to food products made from lentils.

Similarly, 15 cases involved adulteration of animal feed, seven involved spices, seven tea, seven fruits and green leafy vegetables, five honey and 26 cases involved other food items.

Out of the 121 cases, 44 cases involved adulterants, 37 low quality, 14 labelling and 26 involved violation of the Food Act.

The department said it began legal proceedings against Rijal Tashi Industries, Sunsari for food adulteration, Dugar Spices and Food Products, Morang for low quality tomato ketchup, Salt Trading Corporation, Dhangadhi for labelling issues in iodise salt, Unilever Nepal, Makwanpur for low quality tea and Nepal Liquors, Morang for low quality whisky.

The food safety watchdog took legal action against Pokhara Noodles and Yasodha Foods, Tilottama for low quality noodles, Sujal Dairy, Pokhara for adulterated paneer and curd, and Himal Mineral Water and Everest Beverage, both of Kathmandu, for adulterated processed drinking water.

The department said it filed cases involving adulteration and low quality in the District Courts, and other cases in the respective District Administrative Offices. Department officials said that hearings were in progress.

Cases related to unfair trade practices are filed at the District Court or the District Administration Office, which involves lengthy administrative procedures and bureaucratic hassles.

It usually takes three to six months for the District Court to give a verdict, while in many cases, the guilty firm does not face any real action as the evidence is lost over the period, according to consumer rights activists.

The activists have long been demanding that the government should form Consumer Courts in each district which will make it easier to file complaints.

In February last year, Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered the government to establish Consumer Courts in all seven provinces to protect buyers' interests amid repeated cases of unfair market practices. But there isn’t any indication yet that they will be established.

Consumer Court is a special purpose court which primarily deals with consumer-related disputes, conflicts and grievances.

The department said it collected 3,113 food samples in the last fiscal year, out of which, 198 were found to be adulterated and below quality standards.

During the market inspection, the department destroyed Rs10.26 million worth of date expired food items and those with labelling issues. The value of such food items destroyed in Parsa was Rs7 million, the department said.

Selling expired goods that are not supposed to be consumed by affixing new labels on the packaging is a violation of the Consumer Act 2018.

Consumer rights activists said that unless the government becomes sensitive to news reports which have a direct impact on human health, the unfair practice of producing and selling contaminated food will continue.

“The number of food adulteration cases has been rising annually mainly because of corruption, as producers and importers feel that they can get away with anything,” said Prem Lal Maharjan, president of the National Consumer Forum.

"Political parties and business people can influence the government, and in such a situation, it is futile to expect quality and safety in manufactured food items," Maharjan said.

In July 2020, the government registered a bill to amend and integrate laws related to food purity and quality in Parliament. The proposed legislation envisages stern penalties against producers and sellers of substandard and adulterated food. It has been three years since the draft bill was prepared, but it has got nowhere due to the endless political turmoil.

When unrelenting inflation in food items and non-food items has been hitting consumers hard, growing cases of adulteration and low standards in the food sold in the market has raised questions about the presence of the government for ordinary people.