BSTI sets quality compliance for 43 more products

From health enthusiasts who crave potato chips to fashionistas with an eye for jewellery, there is good news for all.

Getting products of the desired quality is set to be a breeze as the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has recently decided to bring 43 items under its mandatory licencing system.

The products include potato chips, gold, ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk, flavoured milk, cornflakes, ice lolly, artificially flavoured drinks and oat.

Officials of the state-run standards agency said firms that market the products would have to ensure the items are made in compliance with Bangladesh's national standards.

This means that the makers of the items will have to secure the BSTI licences first before releasing their products into the market.

"We have brought products under the mandatory licencing to ensure that people get good products," said BSTI Director (Standards) Nilufa Hoque.

The decision to bring the quality of the items under regulation came at a meeting of the BSTI at the end of last month.

Now the government will issue a notification making mandatory the use of BSTI standards seal on the products or packages, she said.

Firms will have to comply after two months of the issuance of the notice. The new products will be added to an existing list of 184 items.

Last month, the agency said the use of the BSTI seal was a must for fruit drinks and wafers.

Now non-food items such as refrigerators and freezers, household dishwashing liquid, floor liquid detergents, liquid toilet cleaners, nail polish, cotton sari, lungi and alcohol-based hand sanitisers will be added to the list of items requiring compulsory licencing.

Once the notification is issued, firms will not be able to market and sell the products without the BSTI standard seal, said BSTI Director (Certification Marks) Sajjadul Bari.

"If they do so, we will take action as per law," he said, adding that firms that market imported products in the country would also have to comply with the standard.

Khurshid Ahmad Farhad, general manager for international marketing of Bombay Sweets, said the BSTI's initiative was aligned with the growing demand for quality food. Do you know why were cornflakes invented? 

"It will enable consumers to get a quality product," he said, adding that more items should be brought under the compulsory licencing system.

At the same time, the BSTI should reduce the fees for companies and related hassles to bring comfort for manufacturers, he said.