Bacteria were found in 6 types of ice cream sold in Uzbekistan

Six different types of ice cream sold in Uzbekistan have been found to contain Escherichia coli bacteria. The Committee reported this for the Development of Competition and Protection of Consumer Rights.

The committee conducted a control procurement event based on citizens' complaints. Seven types of "Hottabich" ice cream labeled sugar-free, produced by "Hasanboy and Kholod" LLC were purchased and delivered to three accredited laboratories for testing.

According to the laboratory of the Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Control under the General Directorate of Medicine under the Presidential Administration, several types of "Hottabich" ice cream, including "Eskimo," "Banana," "Pistachio," "Chocolate," "Plum fruit" and "Plombir" were found to be non-compliant with sanitary requirements due to the presence of Escherichia coli bacteria.

The accredited laboratory of "Technostandart Neo" LLC also found that the "Hottabich" ice cream, which is labeled as sugar-free, actually contained sugar in amounts far exceeding the norm. For example, in products like "Eskimo," "Banana," "Pistachio," and "Chocolate," the sugar content was between 37.7% and 38.1%, instead of the standard 14.5% to 17.5%. Conversely, the "Apple fruit" filling had less sucrose than the norm.

Additionally, the technical regulatory agency of Uzbekistan found that the ice cream varieties "Eskimo," "Banana," "Pistachio," "Chocolate," "Plum fruit," "Apple fruit," and "Plombir" lacked about 10 pieces of necessary consumer information on their packaging.

It was also determined that the composition and labeling of these ice creams did not comply with the general technical regulation on food safety.

Furthermore, during the investigation, no evidence was found to support claims on the packaging that these ice creams could help with weight loss, boost immunity, relieve stress, or improve mood.

It should be noted that earlier, the Sanitary-Epidemiological Peace and Public Health Committee warned residents that unsanitary ice creams sold on the street might contain staphylococcal bacteria.