SELLING adulterated food in the city restaurants is nothing new. Though the relevant agencies, including Food Safety Authority, sometimes conduct mobile courts and fine the restaurants, the scenario is not yet changed. Even in the city’s posh areas, the restaurants are running their business allegedly selling low-standard and unhygienic food to the customers. In the latest incident, Dhaka North City Corporation on Wednesday fined Tk 5.5 lakh to three restaurants, including a Koren and a Japanese, in Gulshan and Banani areas for unhygienic environment and not having health clearance certificate.
Dozens of reports have been published in the newspapers recently that city restaurants were procuring foods with rotten meat, fish, vegetables and others. Some food items were found with fungus. So, anybody could imagine how the situation is in the district level and rural areas. It’s simply hazardous. People are compelled to consume low-quality and adulterated food paying their money. We must say fine is not enough to stop the bad practice; rather the authorities concerned should take stern action against the restaurants for unhygienic atmosphere and serving adulterated food.
Food safety is an important public health issue to ensure sound health. So, food adulteration and food fraud should not be neglected. All those hazardous foods, sold in the restaurants, whether chronic or acute, may make food injurious to the health of the consumers. We must keep in mind that; the consequences of food adulteration are two-fold for the consumers: the health hazards and the economic loss by paying more for lower-quality food items.
Presently, the Food Safety Authority has planned to stick different types of stickers to determine the criterion of the restaurants in the capital. The effort is appreciating. But it is not enough in comparison to the large-scale syndicated business of adulterated food. There are several laws and regulations to ensure the standard of food manufacture and sale. We think, enforcement of food laws, rules and regulations is a shared responsibility of different Ministries and their concerned departments. The restaurants must be closed for ever for selling adulterated food.
Dozens of reports have been published in the newspapers recently that city restaurants were procuring foods with rotten meat, fish, vegetables and others. Some food items were found with fungus. So, anybody could imagine how the situation is in the district level and rural areas. It’s simply hazardous. People are compelled to consume low-quality and adulterated food paying their money. We must say fine is not enough to stop the bad practice; rather the authorities concerned should take stern action against the restaurants for unhygienic atmosphere and serving adulterated food.
Food safety is an important public health issue to ensure sound health. So, food adulteration and food fraud should not be neglected. All those hazardous foods, sold in the restaurants, whether chronic or acute, may make food injurious to the health of the consumers. We must keep in mind that; the consequences of food adulteration are two-fold for the consumers: the health hazards and the economic loss by paying more for lower-quality food items.
Presently, the Food Safety Authority has planned to stick different types of stickers to determine the criterion of the restaurants in the capital. The effort is appreciating. But it is not enough in comparison to the large-scale syndicated business of adulterated food. There are several laws and regulations to ensure the standard of food manufacture and sale. We think, enforcement of food laws, rules and regulations is a shared responsibility of different Ministries and their concerned departments. The restaurants must be closed for ever for selling adulterated food.
