Kalvert Foods ( India ) Pvt. Ltd
Impure / Unhygienic food product

On 28th June 09, I had purchased a ‘ Rose Sirop ’ bottle of ‘ Kalvert Foods (India) Pvt. Ltd. from ‘Ambika Super market (General Stores), Mumbai-Pune Road, Kalva (W), Thane.

Manufacturing date  May ’09

Batch No.  E – 18

It was in the general store itself that I observed some suspended particle in the sealed ‘ Rose Sirop ‘ bottle. On closer observation I realised that there was a dead ‘ ANT ’ floating inside the sirop.

I was surprised so showed it to the shop owner & the counter sales man. They both too had a close look & confirmed that it was indeed a dead ant in the sealed bottle.

I then wrote a complaint e-mail to Kalvert company about it & an area salesman met me personally to check the bottle. He too agreed to the presence of the ant in the sealed bottle. I was however later stunned when he just apologied on the company's behalf & as per the instructions given to him - he offered to gift me 2 bottles of the same Rose syrup that I had an issue with - impure & unhygienic. When I obviously refused the offer, he offered me 3 bottles free. It's disgusting that this company could try to take this issue so lightly. How could anyone accept a product for resolving a complaint pertaining to a complaint about the same product???

This incident has raised several critical questions in my mind about the hygiene, pest control, filtration, packing & quality checks done by well-established & known food & beverage companies like ‘Kalvert Foods’ - whom consumers trusted for quality. How can we know or trust that there are no other insects / pests around the manufacturing area of this company’s products as even the ant could enter the bottle – after straining – if it was ever done in the first place.

I am highly upset & also worried now learning that well reputed companies too lack the mandatory quality & hygiene standards in manufacturing edible FMCG products which are consumed even by children.

I would never be purchasing any products manufactured by of ‘ Kalvert Foods (India) Pvt. Ltd. This is a breach of our trust in the companies whose sub-standard products we unknowingly consume.