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SLSI to name harmful food in market

06 Apr 2021

  • Chairman promises after monks storm SLSI

  • Monks press him on DG’s recent revelations

  The Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) is to issue a list of names of foods containing harmful substances, and the companies related to the businesses involving these food items, stated “Sinhale” national organisation General Secretary Ven. Madille Pannaloka Thera said. Speaking to The Morning, Pannaloka Thero said that SLSI Chairman Nushad Perera had assured the release of the said names in writing today (6) at around 3 p.m. A group of monks had visited the SLSI premises yesterday (5) following a controversial statement made to an electronic media channel by the SLSI Director General Dr. Siddhika Senaratne, to the effect that it was not only coconut oil, but many other food items, including canned fish, that had been re-exported in the past after they were found to have contained harmful substances. In the case of coconut oil, the mould can be found in dried coconut kernels (copra), and that aflatoxins could be found in locally produced coconut oil too, if copra with this mould are used for oil production. She had further emphasised the need to implement strict laws and regulations to heavily penalise companies involved in these activities. “Dr. Senaratne has revealed that there are several other food items that contain cancer-causing aflatoxins, and she would not reveal further details, as it will pose a risk to those businesses, as the markets for their products would collapse. We protest against her comments, and asked the SLSI to provide us the names of these food items and companies as the public should be made aware of this before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festive season,” Pannaloka Thero further added. According to the monk, representatives of the “Sinhale” national organisation expect to return to the SLSI premises at around 1.30 p.m. today.  Neither Perera nor Dr. Senaratne were available for comment despite several attempts made by The Morning.  


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