Suprious ghee sales causing health issues

By Jawwad Rizvi
LAHORE: The sale of substandard and expired ghee and cooking oil of famous brand is continued unabatedly in the provincial metropolis and other cities at the Utility Store Corporation (USC) stores and franchises.
Consumption of the expired ghee and cooking oil has been adversely affecting the health of people while the authorities concerned are not taking notice of it. The News has found in a survey of the various USC Stores and franchisees of the city and adjoining areas of the provincial metropolis had found that the USC supplied expired ghee and cooking oil to the stores again. The managers of the USC stores and franchises usually sent back expiry items to the warehouses of the Corporations on the complaints of consumers or their routine checking. But the USC management at warehouses sent it back to the stores.
In the case of ghee and cooking oil pouch bag the management of warehouses sent back supply to the stores without cartons. It has found that the stores managers sent the complaints to the management of the Corporation regarding the expired products supply. They have also been informing the customers’ complaints to management regularly. They are pointing out the substandard quality of cooking oil and ghee to the USC high-ups.
Store manger of urban area of the city disclosed to this correspondent on the condition of anonymity that he had sent back ghee and cooking oil to the warehouse on the account of customers’ complaints one week ago. However, same ghee and cooking oil had supplied again with the instructions to sell this lot as early as possible, he added.
Another manger deputed at a stored situated in a middle class locality said ghee and cooking oil was supplied after January 27. This time both items are supplied in plastic bags rather in cartons. The expiry dates of pouch bags are printed on the cartons so now we don’t know the expiry date of the supply’, he added. He also confirmed the instructions of selling the lot as early as possible.
Another manger of a franchise situated at Lahore-Garanwala road said almost every item sold here and he had not received any complaints about the expiry date due to lack of awareness among the people. However, he mentioned that he had received complaints about ghee and cooking oil from the customers. The customers’ complaint that when the put cooking oil and ghee on fire it gives bad smell, he said. “I twice sent back the expiry items to the warehouse but I received it again with the instructions to sell it”, he said.
When contacted, Regional Manager USC Lahore-I Faizan Ahmed said they got back expired items from the stores. He further said that expired items had not supplied again to any store and sent back to the companies.
It is important to mention here that The News had already pointed out this issue some three months back when a lower cadre officer of armed forces offices had compliant about the sale of substandard ghee at cantonment areas USC store.
On the other hand an official of the USC Lahore warehouse revealed that there was still huge quantity of expired ghee and cooking oil in warehouse. He said with the connivance of the USC staff and ghee and cooking oil supplying companies the expiry ghee and cooking oil was not sent back to the factories physically while in documents the factory managers showed it expired and cleared the accounts. Latter, this expired ghee and cooking oil supplied back to stores and franchises. Usually, expired ghee and cooking oil sent to the rural areas and suburbs due to lack of knowledge among the people and they consumed it without raising their voices.
An official of a leading ghee and cooking oil brand said the company always welcome the expired items to maintain its standard. It is not suitable for any company that its expired products sell in the market as it will damage repute of the company. He further said the company not only got back the expired items from stores but also from open market as well.
When contacted, General Manager Vigilance USC, Lt Col (Retd) Muhammad Naseer said that the Corporation had strictly banned sale of expired items every store. He said no senior official of the Corporation was involved in heinous crime. “If the sale of expired item is continued at any store then it is only due to the carelessness of respective Zonal officers and the corporation will take stern action against the culprits”, he added.