Why huge price difference between same ISI Marked Products under different brand names ?

How shelf life of food products is certified ? 

On 26 November 2012, I had sent following e-mail to the firm marketing the product, WRO, DDGW, Secretary (CA). As no body replied, I sent a reminder on 14 December 2012.

"Recently I purchased a 500 ml PET bottle of Packaged Drinking Water (PDW) at Cafe Coffee Day in New Delhi. This PDW has been manufactured by Om Shanti Agro Industries, Dhule (Maharashtra) under their BIS License No. CM/L- 7699108 under brand name Coffee Day.

I have two queries which I hope you will answer in a pro-active manner:
1) The price charged is Rs. 15 for 500 ml whereas other manufacturers are charging Rs. 12 for 1000 ml. PDW under all these brands are marked with ISI Mark as per IS 14543. Why this difference in price?
2) You have specified shelf life of PDW as "Best Before 6 months From DOM". On what basis this shelf life has been specified? Were any shelf life studies were done and if yes then please inform the details of these studies.

Will you please enlighten me on above queries?

I am marking this e-mail to WRO BIS also for enlightening me on above queries and Secretary (CA) for appropriate action.

WRO, BIS
WRO may please inform me the results of tests carried on shelf life by the licensee and by BIS on factory and market samples derawn by BIS. Please also inform if BIS also has any role to play in fixing the price of ISI Marked products. After all BIS is under Ministry of Consumer Affairs. Recently Secretary (CA) addressing the gathering on Vigilance Awareness Week organized by BIS in New Delhi emphasized the need to build up confidence of the common consumers in BIS certified products which are procured/purchased commonly by the organized consumers as well as common consumers (TOI of 6th November 2012).

Secretary (CA)
This matter relates to the interest of consumers. Please take necessary action on the feedback as you consider appropriate."

You are all aware that BIS is under administrative control of Department of Consumer Affairs. I think the marketing firm, BIS and controlling ministry should  answer these queries. As a consumer it is my right and I hope that this right has not been put in abeyance as I was compulsorily retired from BIS and is in the habit of sending complaints against wrong doings of BIS top management.

Note - If anybody in BIS or elsewhere finds anything defamatory in this post/comments, he or she is welcome to bring it to my notice for needed modification or deletion.

ISI Mark - Has it become a tool for cheating consumer

Part IV - Bad quality ISI Mark CFL 

In my last post, I wrote about how packaged drinking water is being marketed without testing by BIS licensees under its compulsory ISI Mark scheme.  Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) is yet another product where consumer is being cheated by licensees behind false claims of BIS about ISI Mark. Like drinking water CFL is also under mandatory certification by BIS.

BIS has so far granted 57 licenses for CFL and earns a minimum of Rs. 85 lakhs every year. Consumers pay a very high price for these CFL, but what they get in return? Let me show this by my personal experience.

I bought 2 CFL of 5W and 8W of HPL brand and one CFL of 15W of Havells brand. As per manufacturers’ declaration the life of these CFL should have been 4 years @ of 4 hrs/day, but one HPL CFL failed within a year itself (manufactured in Nov 10’), other HPL CFL failed within 2 years (manufactured in June 09’) and Havells CFL failed in a year (purchased in July 10’). The usage was not more than 3 hrs/day in case of all three CFL.

Four more CFL of other brands are in use in my house. I am watching their performance.

I invite you to share your experience. 

ISI Mark - Has it become a tool for cheating consumer

Part III - Packaged drinking water in 250 ml PP Glasses

Today in a family  function, guests were served packageddrinking water in 250 ml PP Glasses. Click on the image to see the marking details. Batch No, and Packing Date are not marked. I checked thecardboard carton also. It was blank, no information printed.

Is this the way licensees are allowed to market PDW with ISI Mark?

Manufacturer has declared shelf life as 90 days from date of manufacturing. WHICH DATE OF MANUFACTURING? Also, had BIS ever checked and verified this shelf life as declared by the manufacturer?

I also visited BIS Website. Variety covered (at S. No. 36 of List of Licensees for Delhi) - 20 litre PET Jar. When I clicked on this a page was opened where variety covered is litre PET Jar and 250 ml PP Glasses. Which is correct? 

No batch No., no Packing date, this is how manufacturers market drinking water with ISI Mark without testing and hide production to save on MF. BIS officers take bribe and turn a blind eye. The are not even bothered that such untested drinking water is a health hazard for consumers.