The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has ordered the withdrawal of 10 products, including Bombay Sweets spices and Baghabari Ghee, from the market after they failed laboratory quality tests.

In addition, the agency issued a show-cause notice asking why it should not cancel the licences it issued for these products, reports bdnews24.com citing a BSTI statement on Wednesday.

The agency advised consumers to refrain from buying these products as the tests found them to be of poor quality.

As part of its routine market surveillance, the BSTI collected products from different companies and tested them at its laboratory against international standards.

Several products passed the tests, but others fell short of the required quality standards.

However, the quality of some brands of ghee, butter oil, and spices failed to meet standards.

Baghabari Ghee was required to contain milk fat, but tests found none. Marketed as ghee, the product was instead found to be made from palm olein and vanaspati.

In addition, Bombay Sweets' spices did not meet Bangladesh Standards.

The BSTI found in laboratory tests that curry powder, spices for duck meat, Tehari spices, Kala Bhuna spices, beef spices, and fish spices produced by Bombay Sweets and Company Limited contained ash and salt in excess of the standard.

Baghabari Ghee from the Baghabari Premium Ghee Company, the “Arun Baghabari” ghee from Kishoreganj Food Products, “New Radhuni” ghee from Mamun Food Products, “City” Ghee, and “Elders Butter Oil” Ghee from Elders Food Products and Packaging Industries are among the companies that failed to meet the Bangladesh Standard.

The BSTI says that lab tests found the refractive index, iodine value, saponification value, and Polenske value of these products were outside the prescribed limits.

BSTI Director General (Secretary) Kazi Emdadul Hoque said, “It is the legal and moral responsibility of every licensed institution to maintain the quality of products as per national standards. In addition to issuing quality certificates for products, strict monitoring is being carried out through surveillance to prevent counterfeiting and adulteration.”

Before buying products, the BSTI director general advised buyers to check the BSTI quality mark, license number, production date, expiration date, product ingredients and other necessary information.