Reza Mahmud :
Huge quantities of unapproved foods have flooded the markets, which might have harmed the baby health, experts said.
Even though the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) are supposed to approve every consumable food, it is not done in most cases. Consequently the unapproved foods are found in shops near the schools, madrasas and residential quarters. seriously.
Different types of crackers, chips, chocolates, Ice-creams, biscuits, cakes, pastries, Ice-lollies and colourful food items are selling there. It is to be remembered that all that glitters is not good.
Most of the BSTI unapproved products are of substandard and low quality of foods and raw materials.
Besides, the most shop keepers are selling low quality of foods ignoring the country’s law and rules.
In a very recent case, nine children from a madrasah of Sayedpur town in Nilphamari district became seriously sick and hospitalized after eating chocolate on October 23.
But, unaware parents of most of the children buy and serve babies those items frequently.
As per the experts’ statements, such foods seriously harm children’s digestive capacity, stomach, brain and make them Malnourished, meritless, incompetent gradually.
Stomachache and Anorexia nervosa may be found in those children who repeatedly and constantly consume such foods. As a result they used to show reluctant to take regular meals in house and become weak physically and mentally day by day, experts said.
When contacted, Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of the World Health Organisation told The New Nation on Saturday, “BSTI unapproved foods may be made with sub standard materials and destructive colors may be used in making foods.”
“In case of constantly consuming such foods, children may suffer from different critical disease including cancer,” the Professor warned.
When contacted, Manzur Morshed Ahmed, Member of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) told The New Nation, “We have very limited manpower to check enormous case of such food items.”
Mass prevention is the effective way to prevent such unsafe food items, he said.
People should be made conscious to avoid and prevent those food consumption and making and selling for the sake of safe growing of our next generation.
When contacted, Muhammed Amimul Ahsan, Executive Magistrate of BSTI told The New Nation on Saturday that they have conducted drive frequently against manufacturing and selling of such foods.
Meanwhile, Dr. Md. Nazrul Anwar, Director General of BSTI could not be reached over phone to get his comment in this regard.
