Chocolate maker ordered to stop production

Chaminda Perera and Ranjith Padmasiri

Colombo Additional Magistrate Manjula Thilakaratne yesterday issued an order restraining the production and distribution of chocolates by Edna Chocolates Limited as they are suspected to have contained melamine which is harmful to public health.

The Court made this order after a plaint by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) was taken up for hearing yesterday.

The CAA in its plaint cited that the company in question is engaged in importing packeted milk powder from China and Hongkong for the production of chocolates. These packeted milk powder is suspected to have contained melamine.

The CAA sought a court order to immediately cease the production and distribution of chocolates in the interest of public health under the section 98 of the Penal Code.

The Magistrate issued the enjoining order on Edna Chocolates Company restraining the production and distribution of chocolates using the imported milk powder till a comprehensive report on the imported milk powder is obtained from the analysts.

The Magistrate also ordered to hand over the court directive to the company management in person as it has great public relevance.

The CAA cited Edna Chocolates Limited, its directors and the manager of chocolates factory located at Wedamulla, Kelaniya as respondents.

The CAA stated that they conducted a probe on milk powder said to have been imported from China on a tip off and found a large stock of Chinese milk powder not certified by the Sri Lanka Standards Institute.

The CAA further submitted that they took samples from the stock and sent to a laboratory in Singapore for analyst's report.

The CAA cited that there are numerous media reports that Chinese milk powder contains melamine and they suspect the imported milk powder contains melamine.