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| Sunday, 14 December 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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'Give us this day our daily bread' by Rehana Amidon
A recent investigation revealed that the quality and price of bread varied in different bakeries around the city. In two separate interviews, Anushka Fernando and Fareena Noor, a student and a housewife from the same areas said they purchased bread at two different prices from two different bakeries. Although the quality of both loaves were the same, Fernando had paid Rs.16 and Noor had paid Rs.14. Both admitted that at times they receive bread that is too dry, spoiled, bitter and of light weight. Many consumers expressed similar sentiments and evidence was not hard to find in the many bakeries visited by the Sunday Observer. We found that some of the bakeries which are not part of the Baker's Association are unaware of producing bread according to the standard of bread laid down by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI). Prakrama Dasanayke, Chairman of the Baker's Association said that a loaf of bread is required to have a good volume, a spring action, and a weight of 450g. The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has been receiving a large number of complaints about short-weight products, including bread. The Weight and Measurement Department, which is in process of being transferred into an authority is recruiting 3,000 graduates to be sent islandwide on a quest to ensure the scale and other weighing instruments to ensure the weight of products were accurate and measured to proper standards. "CAA will make use of this service in the future to ensure there is no deception by traders in selling products manipulating the scale and the weight of bread", said Kithsiri Gunawardena, Director General of CAA. "The Authority will take action against traders who engage in these practices and remedy the problem". Mr. Gunawardena also mentioned that CAA will inquire into food quality issues and will take action in collaboration with the Food Advisory Committee through the Health Department and Sri Lanka Standard Institution. Some excerpts from the Standard of Bread under SLSI Product Requirements: 1. The crust of bread shall be free from blisters. It shall have a uniform of colour of golden to light brown. The crust shall not be burnt. 2. The crumb shall be springy with small pores uniformly distributed throughout. Free from splits and large holes. Free from non-porous mass, limps of flour or salt or any evidence of incomplete mixing. 3. Free from form fungal froth and 'rope'. Free from any evidence of insect infestation of rodent contamination. 4. White bread shall have a flavour characteristics of fresh, well baked bread. Free from bitterness or any other objectionable flavours. If its Sliced Sandwich bread: 1. Should be packed in a clean and dry waxed paper or any other suitable material to preserve freshness. 2. Each package should have the name of the product, trade mark, net mass in grams, name and address of the manufacturer, and date of expiry. |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Bread
is the most important daily essential in our lives and plays an integral
part in our daily life especially in the towns. However when traders
ignore standards and pricing stipulations and exploit consumers, it is a
crime they are committing against the health, and nourishment of the
general public. Consumers around the country are subject to unfair and
deceptive practices everyday. Research shows that there is a need for a
strict control on the price of bread and its quality.
