In Jimma over 20 tons of butter and honey contaminated with added ingredients to lessen the cost has been seized.
Ethiopia’s Health Minister, Dr. Amir Aman made the statement during testimony to parliament.
The seizure came about as part of a joint action by professionals from the newly named Food & Drug Administration Authority (FDAA), Jimma Police and city residents.
FDAA is taking steps to stop the illegal activity by providing trainings on taking various measures to control such illegal acts by giving trainings on surveillance intelligence for professionals from federal and regional states to tackle the problem.
The tainted butter and honey was discovered at Hassen Garage and Hibret School in the vicinity of Jimma City. Three people are suspected at this time.
The 21.5 tons of adulterated honey and butter is estimated to cost over two million birr, Bekalu Arega, FDAA representative in Jimma told Capital.
Other items were found during the raid as well according to Bekalu, including Vaseline, petrol products, and sugar.
Two of the suspects have been detained. Legal proceedings have been filed at Jimma City Court.
Lowering the quality of products by mixing them with other items has become a problem lately as people cut corners to get money. For example some businesspeople have been mixing Injera or red pepper with sawdust.
FDDA has the mandate to control food and medicine and enforce standards in healthcare institutions and health care professionals and control and follow up of hygiene and sanitation.
Last week, in Arada district, the Addis Ababa City Police arrested people for mixing injera with impurities like sawdust and gypsum. Over twenty barrels of adulterated dough and seven quintals of sawdust were seized during the raid.