Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 22 November 2024
A puzzling question has raised eyebrows in Kamorta: how did a packet of bread, labeled as manufactured on 20th November 2024, reach Kamorta on a ship that sailed from Sri Vijaya Puram on 19th November 2024?
The issue came to light through a WhatsApp group post on 21st November 2024 in the prominent group ‘Ocean of Peace.’ The post featured a photograph of bread from Sree Karpagam Hot Bakery located in Sri Vijaya Puram, being sold in Kamorta on 21st November 2024, with a manufacturing date of 20th November 2024. However, records show that the ship carrying cargo to Kamorta, Nalanda Vessel, had loaded its freight on 18th November 2024 and sailed the next day. The ship reached Kamorta on 20th November, making it impossible for the bread to have been manufactured as labeled.
A ship scheduled to sail for Kamorta on 19th November 2024 would necessarily load cargo on 18th November 2024. Since the vessel reached Kamorta on 20th November 2024, the bread loaded onto the ship would need to be manufactured on or before 18th November 2024. There was no other mode of cargo transportation to Kamorta on or after 20th November 2024, making it impossible for bread manufactured on 20th November to be sold in Kamorta on 21st November 2024.
This discrepancy points to a deliberate misrepresentation—by the bakery. By printing a later manufacturing date, the bakery may have attempted to extend the apparent freshness of its product, which is marked with a five-day shelf life.
The controversy deepened when another photograph showed a box of laddoos from the same bakery with the same manufacturing date, also being sold in Kamorta on 21st November 2024.
Call for Investigation:
This issue demands urgent attention from the Food Safety Department and the Nicobar District Administration. An investigation is necessary to verify whether Sree Karpagam Hot Bakery is deliberately printing future manufacturing dates on its products bound for Kamorta. Such practices could deceive consumers into purchasing goods that are closer to their expiry than claimed, or have already expired.
It is worth noting that a related establishment of Sree Karpagam Hot Bakery was recently involved in another food safety issue, which led to it being sealed. This raises further concerns about its practices and adherence to food safety standards.
Residents of Kamorta and other parts of the Nicobar District rely on accurate labelling to make safe food choices. The authorities must act swiftly to ensure public health and hold the bakery accountable if wrongdoing is confirmed.