Reza Mahmud :
Most of the people of the country are being deprived of essential nutrition, as vitamin and minerals of rice are short of amount due to dishonest traders who cut those stuffs for making rice thinner for attacking attraction of the consumers.
Numbers of dishonest traders and millers who dominate the markets are involved with such heinous business, selling coarse rice as thinners one after cutting most of its portions. The new names give them more profit but deprive the consumers of food value.
Experts said, markets are over flooded by the new names ‘miniket’, ‘najirshail’ and such others which have no existence in the paddy fields.
Md. Humayun Kabir, Head of the Department of Applied Research of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute said most of the farmers in the country are producing BRRI-28 and other species of BRRI rice but in the markets there is no such rice.
He said, the mill owners used to cut and over polished the BRRI rice and used to sell those in different attractive names.
As a result, experts said, almost all of the very essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals have been cut and the consumers are taking its part of carbohydrate only.
Experts said consumers who used to consume rice only as a source of nutrition might suffer from malnutrition.
Physicians, Nutritionists and Scientists said that most of the fibers and nutrients are used to remain on the surface of rice. On cutting the rice it looks fine, brighter and people used to attract to buy. But they are deprived of nutrients, minerals and vitamins.
When contacted, Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of the World Health Organisation told The New Nation “On continuous eating such cut rice people might suffer from acute dearth of food values.”
The public health expert said, “People rather avoid using this rice rather they should use rice which are not cut or made attractive artificially.” Government should keep a check in the markets while consumers’ society should also be vigilant in the market. Consumers’ awareness can slow down or stop these bad practices, he added.
When contacted, Professor Dr. Khaleda Islam, Director of Institute of Nutrition and Food Science of the University of Dhaka told The New Nation on Tuesday, “The heinous practice of cutting rice is going on for long but it has been brought tor light recently.
Micro nutrients, minerals and vitamins are used to cut by such bad practice of cutting rice.”
“Very important vitamin-B complex remained in just under paddy cover. But after cutting of the surface portions, this most important vitamin also being cut down and consumers deprived of value,” the Professor said.
Recently High Court have given directives to concern authorities to submit report on harming public health by consuming such ‘miniket’ rice.
When contacted, SM Nazer Hossain, Vice-President of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) told The New Nation on Tuesday, “The dishonest traders cheat the people in double way. They deprived them of very essential nutrients. On the other hand, they are taking high by selling those rice with higher price.”
The CAB leader said such heinous activities must be stopped soon.
When contacted, Md. Abdul Kayowm Sarker
Chairman, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority told The New Nation on Tuesday, “We have formed a committee in this regard.
He said, “Members of the committee ares now collecting samples for conducting test.”
“We are trying to assess the harm of cutting rice through different testing. The test report will be found soon,” he said.
The BFSA Chairman said that after founding the evidences they will take legal actions to stop such practices.
