DHAKA, Aug 26, 2026 (BSS) - The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has ordered the withdrawal from the market of 10 substandard products, including five types of spices produced by Bombay Sweets & Co Ltd and Baghabari-brand ghee, after laboratory tests found them failing to meet the prescribed Bangladesh Standards (BDS).

At the same time, the BSTI has issued show-cause notices to the concerned companies, asking why their licences for the products should not be cancelled.

The BSTI advised consumers to refrain from purchasing the products after laboratory tests confirmed that they were below the required standards.

As part of its regular surveillance activities, the BSTI recently collected products from different companies from the market and tested them at its modern laboratories. 

While most of the products met the required standards, several samples of ghee, butter oil and spices were found to be below the prescribed levels.

Tests found that Baghabari-brand ghee contained no milk fat. 

According to the BSTI, palm olein and vegetable shortening were being used in the product, which was being marketed as ghee.

The five Bombay Sweets products that failed the tests are Curry Powder Duck Meat Spice (Batch No. 141224), Tehari Masala (Batch No. 140226), Kala Bhuna Masala (Batch No. 260927), Beef Masala (Batch-A) and Fish Masala (Batch-A). 

The products contained excessive levels of total ash and salt compared with the limits set by the Bangladesh Standards.

Other manufacturers whose ghee and butter oil products were found below the required standards include Baghabari Premium Ghee Company's Baghabari-brand ghee; Kishoreganj Food Products' Arun Baghabari-brand ghee; M/S Mamun Food Product's New Radhuni and City-brand ghee; and Elders Food Products and Packaging Industries' Elders-brand butter oil.

In the tests, various parameters of the ghee and butter oil-including refractive index, iodine value, saponification value and Polenske value-were found to be outside the prescribed limits.

BSTI Director General (Secretary) Kazi Imdadul Haque said maintaining product quality in accordance with national standards is both a legal and ethical responsibility of every licensed manufacturer.

"BSTI is determined to take necessary legal action if any company fails to fulfil this responsibility," he said.

He said the BSTI has continued strict surveillance to prevent counterfeit and adulterated products alongside issuing quality certificates.

The BSTI director general urged consumers to check the BSTI standard mark, licence number, date of manufacture, expiry date, ingredients and other necessary information before purchasing products.

He also requested consumers to report complaints regarding product quality, adulteration, fraud or misuse of the BSTI standard mark by calling the BSTI hotline at 16119 or emailing [email protected].