Product Testing
Testing of products of common use is one of the routine activities of CAB and is done with a view to make the consumers aware and conscious of the standard and quality of products they consume. It helps understand the extent and range of cheating and deprivation inflicted upon the innocent consumers by the dishonest business and vested interest groups. The findings of the test results are disseminated through seminar and press release for public awareness and action by the government. Dialogues on the findings of the tests are also made with the concerned stakeholders with a view to motivate them to take appropriate measures for maintaining quality and standards in the production and marketing of products.
In the area of product testing the issue of condensed milk crated a sensation throughout the country. CAB in it s routine product testing program arranged testing of 4 brands of condensed milk-Danish, Starship, Goalini and Dutch Fresh by BSTI during November 2002 and found all of them adulterated and not conforming to the Bangladesh Standard, BDS 896 set by BSTI. The test results were disseminated through press release and published in the dailies that prompted the Ministry of Industry to direct BSTI collect samples of the same brands of the condensed milk from the market for retesting. BSTI again tested 4 brands of the condensed milk in its laboratory and found all the four brands of condensed milk adulterated and substandard. CAB also in its second initiatives collected samples of the same brands of condensed milk from the market and arranged testing of the same in the laboratory of Institute of Public Health (IPH) and found the same results. The Ministry of Industry compared the second test done by BSTI with those of the previous ones initiated by CAB and found all the four brands of condensed milk adulterated and substandard. On 23 December 2002 the Government in a directive banned production, marketing and sale of all these four brands of condensed milk in the country.