Case for a National Nutrition Policy (Home Grown Food Habits)

Undisputedly, rice is one of the most nutritious main food items in the world. It is only consumed in Asia, may be due to the fact rice is mostly grown in Asian countries. Japan has realised the nutritious value of rice. In Japan, the mortality rate is less. According to the ratings health conditions are excellent.

Bread and wheat flour was introduced to us by the Portugese. Since then, we have disturbed our traditional food pattern. We had a "Home Grown" food pattern where we live with nature. Our ancestors were healthy and lived long. The complicated health hazards such as diabetes, pressure and connected problems were unknown to them.

It is time for us to stop and think back to find out whether we are making a mistake in our food habits. To my view, certainly we have made a big mistake. It is still not late to correct ourselves. The President and his Government have realised this, and taken all positive measures to correct the situation by taking steps to formulate a national Nutrition Policy.

It is within our mandate to protect the consumer, help the local Industrialists and the traders. Section 7 - Sub Section (a) states that it is one of the objects of this Authority "to protect consumer against the marketing of goods or the provision of services which are hazardous to life and property of consumers."

This thinking is not in keeping with Mahinda Chinthana and the Government policy.

Most places in India, one can see the famous quotation "Be Indian, Buy Indian Today, we have to follow our the old adage "Siyaratade Sirisapade".

Every time when we import wheat flour it costs our foreign exchange. By doing so, we promote the wheat farmers of the USA, Brazil and many other countries. At the same time, we indirectly promote diabetic problems in the country. Every ounce of wheat flour we import is our foreign exchange.

The theme of Mahinda Chinthana indicates the re-introduction of the CWE, Manning Market, Markfed and co-operatives concept in the modern form in Budget shops, which are known as Laba Badu Kade.

The presentation Laba Badu Kade is modern, and as good as any Super Market. Besides, most consumer items are cheep in Budget Shops. It will save our money. We need money for our development.

In this process, we help the consumers and our nation. We have commenced a vigorous programme on 30.08.2006 at Talangama - a demonstration on producing bread from rice flour. We have received a very encouraging and tremendous response from the public. We hope to help to establish bakeries and centers in all parts of the country to provide rice flour and to make bakery products.

We intend to set-up "Bakery Villages" to promote this concept. We are planning to provide small machineries and factories at village level.

It will be done with the help of ministry of Agrarian Services Development of Farmer Communities and other partners We need your support, co-operation, assistance and of course criticism on our project, states Sarath Wijesinghe, Chairman, Consumer Affairs Authority in a press release said.

Questions and Answers

What the consumers can do if they face a problem in the market

(1) What are the goods and services covered by the CAA Act?

Goods: Any food, drink, pharmaceutical, fuel and all other merchandise Services: Service of any description which is made available to actual or potential users

- Services in connection with the import, export or distribution of goods

- The construction, production, manufacture, supply, storage, maintenance, repair, treatment, cleaning, processing or alteration of goods

- Banking, financing, insurance, shipping and entertainment

- Transportation of goods and passengers

- Sale and supply of any utility services including electricity, water, gas and telecommunication

- Information technology and communications

- Professional services such as accounting, auditing, legal, medical and health, surveying, architecture and engineering

- Cleaning of buildings and building premises

(2) Common problems that you may come across in the market

- Selling at a higher price than the marked price on the item

- Expired products

- Adulterated products

- Products which are not suitable for the human consumption even they are within the Shelf life.

- Non availability of essential information on the product, Date of manufacture, Date of Expiry, weight/volume, batch no, maximum retail price

- Defaced/altered information on the product

- Products that do not comply with the required standards

- Not issuing a receipt when requested by the consumer

- Do not offer warranty for electric/electronic items which is mandatory

(2) How can a consumer forward a written complaint if he faced a problem in the market? Aggrieved consumer can forward a written complaint to the below address.

Director General/Chairman, Consumer Affairs Authority, P.O. Box 1581, Colombo 2.

(3) What can be forwarded as the supporting documents/evidence?

- Purchase Receipt

- Copies of Warrantee/Guarantee card

- Copies of agreement

- Samples of defective products

(4)How can a consumer forward a complaint using telephone/Fax/email?

Telephone: 2393577, 2445897, 2393495.

Fax: 2321696, 2399148

email: dgcaa@sltnet.lk, chairmancaa@sltnet.lk

(5) What is meant by implied warranty?

When the services supplied or goods are provided for a consideration by any trader or manufacturer, there is an implied warranty that

- The services will be provided with due care and skill

- The material supplied will be reasonably fit for the purpose for which they are supplied

- The goods or services will be in conformity with the standards and specifications

- The goods will be reasonably fit for the purpose for which they are supplied.

(6) Can a consumer forward a complaint to the CAA when there is breach of the implied Warranty?

Yes. There is provision in the CAA Act to deal with breach of implied warranty by the traders

(7) In what ways in aggrieved consumer can obtain redress?

There are 3 ways that an aggrieved consumer can obtain redress.

- Good product for a defective item

- Refund the amount paid for the supply of goods or the provision of service

- Compensation based on the gravity of the damage.

Coconut oil: Some facts and myths

Coconut oil has been used in Sri Lanka for over 1,000 years. Despite controversial claims in the past, medical experts and nutritionists have recently confirmed that there is no scientific evidence to show that consumption of dietary coconut causes elevation of blood cholesterol (LDL), dietary coconut oil is responsible for Coronary Heart Diseases (CHD) or cause lowering of HDL cholesterol. On the contrary, evidence are surfacing that coconut oil could be one of the nature's most amazing health products.

Further, consumers are largely misled by the fact that certain edible oil products in the market carry the label 'Cholesterol Free' while unfounded attacks have been levelled against coconut oil, simultaneously. The term 'Cholesterol Free' is meaningless as any oil from vegetable sources does not contain cholesterol.

Cholesterol is an organic compound naturally produced in the body. In the bodily process, even the contents from so called 'Cholesterol Free' oils could also contribute to production of cholesterol. Therefore, there is no guarantee that eating such oils ensures a healthy life and all is more commercial propaganda than scientific facts.

While consumer perception has been largely blinded by unethical propaganda, coconut oil is a victim of large scale abuses in the market place also. As the production cost of the pure coconut oil gradually goes up due to rising coconut price, the traders tend to adulterate coconut oil with low cost imported oil products, particularly palm oil.

This causes dual damage by exploiting consumers through charging high prices for adulterated products in the name of coconut oil while tarnishing the image of pure coconut oil too. To prevent these abuses in the coconut oil market, the Consumer Affairs Authority has already taken actions to initiate legal actions against certain offenders.

Consumers also can help these efforts by bringing their complaints to the CAA. In this exercise, Ministry of Agriculture Development and Coconut Research Board have also offered their helping hand by providing necessary technical expertise and scientific facilities for verifications.

However, arming the consumers with knowledge on correct facts is the best strategy of all. Therefore, we direct your attention to certain facts regarding pure coconut oil and adulterated products. These have been made public recently by the Ministry of Coconut Development.

Pure Coconut Oil

* Normal coconut oil is golden in colour. No colour in white coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil is either colourless or golden in colour.

* Bottom of the container (cooking utensils) can be easily seen in pure oil.

* Small tiny bubbles appear when heated.

* Sweet smell/flavour spread in open air.

Coconut mixed with other oils

* Pale or dark in colour

* Bottom of the container cannot be seen.

* Froth emanates while heated.

* Sediment layer gets embedded at the bottom

Important hints on buying medicines

1. Look for the retail price marked on the carton, or wrapper and check with the rate/amount stated on the bill

2. You are entitled to inspect the price list if the pack does not indicate the price

3. Look for the expiry date

4. Do not buy medicines if the expiry date has passed

5. If the date of the last dose overshoots the expiry date, buy only that quantity sufficient for use within the validity period of the drug

6. Try to avoid buying drugs closer to the expiry date

7. Medicines past the expiry date should never be used, but discarded

8. Any sales of drugs past the expiry date should be brought to the attention of the CAA

9. Always retain the bill and the wrapper or packing foil of the drug after use for at least I week before discarding

10. Insist on a bill for every purchase giving the description of every drug purchased

11. The bill, as well as the prescription, should be retained until the ailment is fully cured

12. When seeing the doctor for a second time take along the left over medicines or the packing wrapper of the medicines already taken, as well as the prescription

13. Try to buy medicines by its generic name - they are cheaper and equally good as a branded one

14. If the doctor insists on a brand name, take the doctor's advice

15. If the brand prescribed is not available, settle for an available substitute only on the doctor's advice

16. You have the right to get a full description from the pharmacist, of the dosage and the manner of administering a drug. Get all doubts cleared before leaving the pharmacy

17. If you have doubts regarding the technical capability of the salesman, insist on speaking to the qualified pharmacist

18. If you have doubts regarding the pharmacist's interpretation of drug on the prescription, do not give in to guess work of the pharmacist. Go back to the doctor and get the particular drug rewritten legibly

19. Ensure that the name of the drug and the dosage of each item is clearly written on the pack or envelope containing the drug

20. If a drug gives adverse results after taking, complain immediately to the doctor. Take along the left over medicines and the wrapper or foil covering the medicine already consumed and the bill or invoice.

21. When medications for 2 patients are bought at the same time, take them in separate bags. They should also be kept separately at home

22. Drugs prescribed for one person should never be used by another with apparently a similar ailment.

23. When a private practitioner gives medicines from his own dispensary, insist on a prescription or note giving the description and dosage of the drugs dispensed by him. This can be shown to the same doctor on a second visit, or to another doctor if the doctor is changed for some reason

24. All drugs should be kept out of the reach of children.

25. Any type of complaint on the purchase of a drug will be promptly attended to by the Consumer Affairs Authority.

D. K. J. Amarasingha, Director (CAA)

Trader deceptions

Traders attempt to deceive customers in many ways. The following are some of them, which customers should be conscious and be vigilant of, at all times.

1. Marked Price- It is very common for most super markets to charge customers a price higher than the price marked on the product, which they claim is due to a computer entry of the price of the latest consignment, which is priced higher.

Such explanation is no excuse for a trader to charge a price higher than what is marked on any particular item and the consumer has a legal right to demand that the item be purchased at the price marked on the product.

2. Price Sticker- Some traders put their own price sticker on the product, which may show a price higher than what manufacturer had printed on the label. Such practice is irregular, and a customer has a legal right to purchase the product at the price originally marked by the manufacturer on the product label.

3. The Bill- Check the bill even after going home. You could have been over billed on certain items, either on the price or on the quantity of the item/items purchased. Promptly complain to the owner or manager of the shop with the least amount of delay.

4. The Change- You can be deceived on the change in a number of ways. One way is to give the wrong change, which is less than what you should receive. Another way is to confuse you by being asked for a further coin or note and giving you the change which cannot be reconciled at the counter.

Another common way is not giving small change, like a Rs. 1 coin or a cts.50 coin claiming that small change is not available. You should at all times insist on receiving the correct change. These practices happens mostly at super markets and in passenger busses.

5. Warranty- Whenever a purchase includes a warranty, insist on such warranty being clearly written on the invoice if no separate warranty card is issued. Note to preserve the warranty card AND the invoice or bill until after the lapse of the warranty period.

6. Expiry Date- Items which are close to the expiry date are usually stacked within easy reach of customers. Customers should reach far into the rack and pick the item which has a longer expiry date.

7. Performance- Any battery or current operated item should be tested at the shop itself before removal, since a trader is unlikely to replace such item after having been remove from the shop.

8. Weight- Be watchful of the scale when items are weighed. Certain traders are very "hasty" in taking the things from the scale. Insist that the scale be allowed to balance before removing items.

9. Bargain Prices- Be extra careful in buying items which are offered at ridiculously low prices, since they could be at the expense of quality or even be totally defective or spurious.

10. Excess Balance- To be fair by the trader, if you get change in excess of what you should get, promptly return it to the trader. 'One good turn deserves another.

D.K.J. Amarasingha

Director (CAA)

CAA seminar

The Consumer Affairs Authority is organising a seminar on the legal basis and implementation of CAA and proposed amendments at the CWE Auditorium at No. 27, Vaulxhall Street, Colombo 2.

This project is sponsored by Consumer Affairs Authority and Lions Club International.

The speakers will include Dr. Wickrema Weerasooriya (Insurance Ombudsman), Walter Ladduwahetti (Financial Ombudsman), President, Bar Association of Sri Lanka), Chairman Legal Aid Commission, Chairman Consumer Affairs Authority and many other industrialists, lawyers, leaders of business establishments and Chamber of Commerce.

We propose to have the seminar on mid September and those who wish to communicate us please communicate with the Legal Department. Consumer Affairs Authority Tel. 2393577/2445897/2393495, Mr. Bagirathan Tel. 2503416/2421199.

What is a Scam

A scam is an attempt to deprive you of money. Scams are usually promoted as a really fabulous deal in return for a 'relatively small investment on your part. It Sounds great Scammers put a lot of effort into making their scams appear what people want whether its instant wealth.

Scams aren't always easy to identify Look out for scams that Promise to make you rich very quickly without much effort or risk

Offer 'free gifts' or prizes from a competition you never entered Appear to be an official style correspondence Scams ask you to give personal information such as your banking details Scams sound just too good to be true.

Types of Scams

Pyramid schemes

Pyramid schemes operates by recruiting people to make money rather than by selling a legitimate product or service. The victim makes a cash investment and once they have recruited a certain number of other investors they will (allegedly) receive a substantial sum of cash.

Most of the time, you'll never make money and lose any money you paid to participate as well as friends that you recruited.

Did you know that chain letters are a common type of pyramid scheme?

E-mail scams

E-mail has opened up scamming opportunities across the globe. Scammers contact you via e-mail encouraging you to provide your bank details and other personal information.

Watch out for an e-mail claiming to be from your bank asking you to send your account details and/or your PIN to them by return e-mail or through a website.

You're a winner