The Ministry of Defence's canteen stores department (CSD) has suspended the sale of Patanjali Ayurved's amla juice after receiving an adverse state-laboratory test report on the product, the Economic Times reported.
The move came after the product was tested at the central food lab that found it to be 'unfit for consumption'. Soon after the report was declared, the CSD asked all its depots to make debit notes for their existing stock so that the product can be returned. The Department has 34 depots located across India.
"The batch was tested at the Central Food Lab in Kolkata and was declared unfit for consumption. Patanjali has withdrawn amla juice from all army canteens," The ET quoted two officials as saying. However, the detailed findings of the report are yet to be known.
Incidentally, this is the same lab that found almost two years ago lead levels above permissible limits, and the presence of MSG in the samples of Nestle Maggi noodles.
According to a report by PTI, CSD has immediately suspended the sale of the particular batch of the item and sent a show cause notice to the company to examine the deviations and explain about them.
They said "further action" will be taken on receipt of reply from the firm. The CSD had sent samples of Amla Juice having index no. 85417 and batch No. GH1502 to the laboratory in Kolkata, they said.
The Patanjali Ayurveda said its amla juice is an ayurvedic medicine and test on it should be conducted as per the norms of the AYUSH ministry. The firm said norms prescribed by the countrys food regulator--Food Safety and Standards Authority of India-- were not applicable to the juice.
The latest development could hurt the Patanjali's image as its Amla juice was the product that helped it strengthen its foothold in the Indian consumer market. However, Patanjali Ayurved has not reacted yet to the news.
This is the second time when Patanjali is facing suchadverse situation. Last year in December, a local court in Haridwar slappedRamdev's Patanjali Ayurved's five production units with a fine of Rs 11 lakhfor "misbranding and putting up misleading advertisements" of theirproducts.Patanjali Ayurved was found guilty of misbranding as the products being shownby the company as produced at its own units were in fact manufactured somewhereelse.
A case had been filed in the court against the company in 2012 by the DistrictFood Safety Department after samples of mustard oil, salt, pineapple jam, besanand honey produced by Patanjali had failed quality tests at Rudrapurlaboratory.