Nepal, Nov. 6 -- With the onset of Tihar, sweet shops across the country are expecting increased business, with demand for traditional and premium sweets rising during the festival. However, concerns over food quality, adulteration and hygiene have put the spotlight on the safety of sweets sold in the market.

Tihar, Nepal's second-largest festival, is one of the busiest periods for the sweet industry. Sweets are widely used as offerings during Laxmi Puja, gifts during Bhai Tika and tokens of goodwill during Deusi-Bhailo celebrations. As a result, sweet shops have started increasing production and preparing attractive gift packages to meet seasonal demand.

This year, Tihar celebrations will begin with Kag Tihar on November 7, followed b...