A national daily reported on Friday that a large number of business firms selling imported edible oil without fortification of Vitamin-A in the market thereby cheating consumers over the years. Their activities are in complete violation of Edible Oil Fortification with Vitamin-A Act, 2013 and what is noticeable is that market monitors are either knowingly allowing it to continue or keeping the eyes totally shut about it. In the process the importing houses and their marketing agents are just using the brand of edible oil; without fortification of the mandated vitamin content and selling it throughout the country.
Consumers are routinely betrayed with supply of formalin mixed food items in the market to save it from root. Supply of edible oil without Vitamin-A fortification is yet another catastrophe routinely damaging public health. What appears more catastrophic is that between 60 to 70 percent of the edible oil is non-branded in the market due to lack of optimal level of the presence of Vitamin-A. But people without justification are buying such non-branded oil because it costs lower than that of branded edible of the companies. They have created the market on low cost advantage.
In Bangladesh, Vitamin-A deficiency has been documented as a public health problem since 1960s and cause of night blindness in children; which can be however overcome by use of edible oil fortified by Vitamin-A. Media reports quoted a study; which showed over the past 25 years, Bangladesh has been implementing a national Vitamin-A supplement program targeting children of 9 to 59 months of age. But as it appears that selling of edible oil without Vitamin-A fortification may jeopardize the objective to a great extent causing the national target to remain unfulfilled. It may be noted that Vitamin-A supplement in edible oil has contributed significantly in reducing infant and young child mortality, but progress has landed in doubts in recent time. Another disclosure said that although the price of unrefined soybean oil has come down by 37 percent within a year, the marketing companies have not reduced the price and cheating buyers.
According to Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) more than 10 companies are marketing edible oil while products of only four companies were Vitamin-A fortified.
In our view the government must take up the issue seriously and market monitors like BSTI should ensure compliance of the law and take steps to punish those violating the law. There can’t be any compromise in case of public health.
Consumers are routinely betrayed with supply of formalin mixed food items in the market to save it from root. Supply of edible oil without Vitamin-A fortification is yet another catastrophe routinely damaging public health. What appears more catastrophic is that between 60 to 70 percent of the edible oil is non-branded in the market due to lack of optimal level of the presence of Vitamin-A. But people without justification are buying such non-branded oil because it costs lower than that of branded edible of the companies. They have created the market on low cost advantage.
In Bangladesh, Vitamin-A deficiency has been documented as a public health problem since 1960s and cause of night blindness in children; which can be however overcome by use of edible oil fortified by Vitamin-A. Media reports quoted a study; which showed over the past 25 years, Bangladesh has been implementing a national Vitamin-A supplement program targeting children of 9 to 59 months of age. But as it appears that selling of edible oil without Vitamin-A fortification may jeopardize the objective to a great extent causing the national target to remain unfulfilled. It may be noted that Vitamin-A supplement in edible oil has contributed significantly in reducing infant and young child mortality, but progress has landed in doubts in recent time. Another disclosure said that although the price of unrefined soybean oil has come down by 37 percent within a year, the marketing companies have not reduced the price and cheating buyers.
According to Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) more than 10 companies are marketing edible oil while products of only four companies were Vitamin-A fortified.
In our view the government must take up the issue seriously and market monitors like BSTI should ensure compliance of the law and take steps to punish those violating the law. There can’t be any compromise in case of public health.
