Staff Reporter :
Green activists on Saturday demanded for testing quality of foods and beverage items in the country to assure food safety and eliminate adulterated food from markets of the country.
They have reasoned lack of awareness among consumers, lack of regular monitoring in the markets and production facilities, coordination among authorities like Bangladesh Safe Food Authority and producers, marketeers. Profit boosting mentality among producers is also responsible for abundant unsafe food in the markets.
Poribesh Bachao Andolan (POBA) organised a human chain programme in front of the Department of Fine Arts at Dhaka University in the city.
Chairman of POBA Abu Naser Khan, its Co-Secretary MA Wahed, Nishat Mahmud, Md Selim, Researcher of Arizona University Saleh Ahmed, President of Modern Club Abul Hasnat, Member of Work for Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust Syeda Anonna Rahman, Member of POBA Camelia Chowdhury,
President of NASF Hafizur Rahman, among others, took part in the programme.
According to them, Different sort of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, preservative, growth hormone like DDT, Calcium, Carbide, Ethophen, Formalin etc are being used in different stages of agricultural production process in the country. In sweets textile color along with other chemicals are widely used in the country. For preserving dried fish DDT, Heptaclore are used. For producing feed for farms various chemicals and tannery leftovers are used often. In fish and cattle different antibiotics and hormones are used more than acceptance level of the human body.
Besides, in different food items presence of Aldrin, Chromium, Cirbide, Arsenic, Lead are notably there. Industrial processed food and beverages also contain very high level of preservatives, colour and other threatening chemicals for human health.
Referencing a study of National Food Safety Laboratory Abu Naser Khan said more than 40 per cent of foods and beverages in the country’s market contain 3 to 20 times higher DDT, Aldrin, Chlordane, Heptachlor and other contaminated ingredients.
35 per cent fruits and 50 per cent of vegetables samples in the market contained contamination and pesticides. 13 samples of Rice have revealed higher level of Arsenic and Chromium. Turmeric powder contained lead and other heavy metals. Salt samples also contained 20-50 times higher level of leads.
Thus, consuming such contaminated foods regularly, consumers are suffering from chronic and infectious diseases. Besides adults, children are becoming most vulnerable and suffering with deadly diseases in the country.
“Cancer, Kidney, Lungs and Liver patients are growing in the country at a alarming level, it is high time to take a move against adulterated food in the country,” said Abu Naser Khan.
“Junk foods like chips wafer, chocolate, contains high level of carbohydrate, melamine resulting obesity and high blood pressure among children besides other chronic diseases which need strict monitoring of the Safe Food Authority of the country,” Naser Khan mentioned.
“The Safe Food Authority should perform more actively with higher quality research and market monitoring to ensure safe food,” he remarked.
Despite having different laws and policies in the country the authorities are lagging of adequate coordination, monitoring and enforcement. It is the basic responsibility of the Safe Food Authority to ensure food quality and adequate coordination among the concerned authorities.
Speakers demanded that the Safe Food Authority will take adequate initiative for ensuring food safety with research, market monitoring and publish regular reports publicly.
Doing so will not only ensure public health safety but help achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and expand the export market of produced foods of the country globally.
Green activists on Saturday demanded for testing quality of foods and beverage items in the country to assure food safety and eliminate adulterated food from markets of the country.
They have reasoned lack of awareness among consumers, lack of regular monitoring in the markets and production facilities, coordination among authorities like Bangladesh Safe Food Authority and producers, marketeers. Profit boosting mentality among producers is also responsible for abundant unsafe food in the markets.
Poribesh Bachao Andolan (POBA) organised a human chain programme in front of the Department of Fine Arts at Dhaka University in the city.
Chairman of POBA Abu Naser Khan, its Co-Secretary MA Wahed, Nishat Mahmud, Md Selim, Researcher of Arizona University Saleh Ahmed, President of Modern Club Abul Hasnat, Member of Work for Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust Syeda Anonna Rahman, Member of POBA Camelia Chowdhury,
President of NASF Hafizur Rahman, among others, took part in the programme.
According to them, Different sort of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, preservative, growth hormone like DDT, Calcium, Carbide, Ethophen, Formalin etc are being used in different stages of agricultural production process in the country. In sweets textile color along with other chemicals are widely used in the country. For preserving dried fish DDT, Heptaclore are used. For producing feed for farms various chemicals and tannery leftovers are used often. In fish and cattle different antibiotics and hormones are used more than acceptance level of the human body.
Besides, in different food items presence of Aldrin, Chromium, Cirbide, Arsenic, Lead are notably there. Industrial processed food and beverages also contain very high level of preservatives, colour and other threatening chemicals for human health.
Referencing a study of National Food Safety Laboratory Abu Naser Khan said more than 40 per cent of foods and beverages in the country’s market contain 3 to 20 times higher DDT, Aldrin, Chlordane, Heptachlor and other contaminated ingredients.
35 per cent fruits and 50 per cent of vegetables samples in the market contained contamination and pesticides. 13 samples of Rice have revealed higher level of Arsenic and Chromium. Turmeric powder contained lead and other heavy metals. Salt samples also contained 20-50 times higher level of leads.
Thus, consuming such contaminated foods regularly, consumers are suffering from chronic and infectious diseases. Besides adults, children are becoming most vulnerable and suffering with deadly diseases in the country.
“Cancer, Kidney, Lungs and Liver patients are growing in the country at a alarming level, it is high time to take a move against adulterated food in the country,” said Abu Naser Khan.
“Junk foods like chips wafer, chocolate, contains high level of carbohydrate, melamine resulting obesity and high blood pressure among children besides other chronic diseases which need strict monitoring of the Safe Food Authority of the country,” Naser Khan mentioned.
“The Safe Food Authority should perform more actively with higher quality research and market monitoring to ensure safe food,” he remarked.
Despite having different laws and policies in the country the authorities are lagging of adequate coordination, monitoring and enforcement. It is the basic responsibility of the Safe Food Authority to ensure food quality and adequate coordination among the concerned authorities.
Speakers demanded that the Safe Food Authority will take adequate initiative for ensuring food safety with research, market monitoring and publish regular reports publicly.
Doing so will not only ensure public health safety but help achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and expand the export market of produced foods of the country globally.
