Following complaints of adulteration:

CAA raids coconut oil selling centres in Pettah

Athapattu Bandara

Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) officials yesterday raided coconut oil selling centres in Pettah to investigate the complaint that

coconut oil was mixed with palm oil by the sellers as the price of palm oil was significantly low in the market.

The CAA officials collected the samples from all selling centres and directed them to the laboratory of the Coconut Development Authority to verify whether the consumer protection laws of the country are violated. "If found guilty, stern action will be taken against the traders and manufacturers", CAA sources said.

The raid was carried out as the CAA received a large number of complaints from consumers that the coconut oil brought from Pettah had been mixed with palm oil and not fit for consumption. The CAA on the directives of Internal Trade and Cooperative Minister Johnston Fernando made a sudden inspection and collected the samples of coconut oil for further investigation.

Meanwhile, the CAA in another attempt of curbing unhygienic foods being distributed among customers seized a large stock of gram weighing 2,000 kilograms worth of Rs. 60 million unfit for human consumption during a major raid in Fourth Lane in Pettah.

In addition, 50 kilograms of pepper, 50 kilograms of saffron, 200 kilograms of dried chillies which were unfit for consumption were also seized from the same warehouse.

The CAA officials found that these food stuffs were to be released to the market at the time of raid and many of them were eaten by rats.