Staff Reporter :
Vegetables, oils and bakery items, available for public consumption in the markets, are mostly adulterated causing a serious threat to the public health, a survey revealed.
Institute of Public Health has recently tested samples of vegetables collected from different markets of the country. They were found contaminated with high dosages of pesticides like Chloropyriphus and Daimathite.
Besides, Mustard oil, Soybean oil and Ghee of different brands were also found adulterated. Artificial colour and essence were used while producing these spurious consumer products.
About 80 per cent of fried Vermicelli was tested found with presence of ammonia and humid which is not safe for human consumption.
Moreover, bakery items like biscuits, cakes and other items were also found adulterated using artificial colours, ammonia and different preserving agents to increase shelve life and make those crispy.
The Institute of Public Health revealed the information after Analysing a survey titled “Monitoring and Evaluation of Horticultural Products and Other Food Commodities of Chemical Contamination: An Appraisal of Food Safety Survey in Bangladesh 2nd Round 2016-17.”
It carried out tests on 465 samples of vegetables and other food items and found use of pesticides, colour, and also presence of alpha toxin.
Public health experts have alarmed that if pesticides cross the limit of acceptance level it can cause serious harm to the human body. The higher rate of use of pesticides than safe level will increase the chances of chronic diseases and damage in human body. It can cause kidney failure, lever failure and nervous failure and weakness.
Humidity imbalance in foods can also cause fungal infection in the human body, they said.
The Institute of Public Health had taken samples from wholesale and retail markets of five district towns and capital Dhaka. Tomato, Brinjal, Cauliflower, Bean, Chili pepper, Noodles and Vermicelli were taken as samples for the test.
The test found that among 30 samples of tomato two contained Chloropyriphus pesticide at double rate than acceptable level. It also found that among 30 samples of Brinjal one contained Daimathite pesticide at double rate than acceptable level, among 30 samples of Cauliflower 12 contained Chloropyriphus pesticide at higher rate than acceptable level, among 30 samples of Bean 15 contained Chloropyriphus pesticide at higher rate than acceptable level, and among 30 samples of chilli 15 containedples with Chloropyriphus than acceptable rate.
On the other hand, among 55 brands of Noodles and Vermicelli 13 were found with low level of protein than acceptable level and presence of lead was found in all 55 samples. Higher level of humidity was found in 10 branded Vermicelli samples taken for the test.
A total of 38 ghee samples were tested. Among them, BR was found in 27 samples, Sabanaman in 17 samples, while 20 samples were found with higher humidity.
Among 31 samples of Mustard oil 18 contained Sabanaman, 27 found with free floating acid, 12 with low level of iodine and 8 with low level of iron than acceptable level.
Among 27 samples of Soybean oil, 17 contained BR, 13 with Sabanaman and 12 were found low level of iodine.
Dr. Rehana Ferdousi, Nutritionist at Samorita Hospital of the city, told The New Nation that presence of high level of pesticide in vegetables is a threat to public health.
“The higher level of contamination in vegetables can harm both adult and children. It can cause chronic diseases like kidney failure, lever malfunctioning and cancer,” Dr. Ferdousi opined.
She added: “High level of awareness required among consumers and such contamination decrease food values also causes critical diseases and act as public health threat.”
President of Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Ghulam Rahman suggested the farmers for using natural methods of pest control instead of chemical pesticides.
He suggested that, “Farmers should use more organic and natural methods of pest control in the production stages. Sex pheromone, lighting method and organic pest control can reduce such risk of public health.”
“Beside authorities should increase monitoring in the markets as well as field level for reducing chemical pesticides. Consumers have to be cautious while consuming such foods to avoid health risk and hazards,” Rahman added.
Vegetables, oils and bakery items, available for public consumption in the markets, are mostly adulterated causing a serious threat to the public health, a survey revealed.
Institute of Public Health has recently tested samples of vegetables collected from different markets of the country. They were found contaminated with high dosages of pesticides like Chloropyriphus and Daimathite.
Besides, Mustard oil, Soybean oil and Ghee of different brands were also found adulterated. Artificial colour and essence were used while producing these spurious consumer products.
About 80 per cent of fried Vermicelli was tested found with presence of ammonia and humid which is not safe for human consumption.
Moreover, bakery items like biscuits, cakes and other items were also found adulterated using artificial colours, ammonia and different preserving agents to increase shelve life and make those crispy.
The Institute of Public Health revealed the information after Analysing a survey titled “Monitoring and Evaluation of Horticultural Products and Other Food Commodities of Chemical Contamination: An Appraisal of Food Safety Survey in Bangladesh 2nd Round 2016-17.”
It carried out tests on 465 samples of vegetables and other food items and found use of pesticides, colour, and also presence of alpha toxin.
Public health experts have alarmed that if pesticides cross the limit of acceptance level it can cause serious harm to the human body. The higher rate of use of pesticides than safe level will increase the chances of chronic diseases and damage in human body. It can cause kidney failure, lever failure and nervous failure and weakness.
Humidity imbalance in foods can also cause fungal infection in the human body, they said.
The Institute of Public Health had taken samples from wholesale and retail markets of five district towns and capital Dhaka. Tomato, Brinjal, Cauliflower, Bean, Chili pepper, Noodles and Vermicelli were taken as samples for the test.
The test found that among 30 samples of tomato two contained Chloropyriphus pesticide at double rate than acceptable level. It also found that among 30 samples of Brinjal one contained Daimathite pesticide at double rate than acceptable level, among 30 samples of Cauliflower 12 contained Chloropyriphus pesticide at higher rate than acceptable level, among 30 samples of Bean 15 contained Chloropyriphus pesticide at higher rate than acceptable level, and among 30 samples of chilli 15 containedples with Chloropyriphus than acceptable rate.
On the other hand, among 55 brands of Noodles and Vermicelli 13 were found with low level of protein than acceptable level and presence of lead was found in all 55 samples. Higher level of humidity was found in 10 branded Vermicelli samples taken for the test.
A total of 38 ghee samples were tested. Among them, BR was found in 27 samples, Sabanaman in 17 samples, while 20 samples were found with higher humidity.
Among 31 samples of Mustard oil 18 contained Sabanaman, 27 found with free floating acid, 12 with low level of iodine and 8 with low level of iron than acceptable level.
Among 27 samples of Soybean oil, 17 contained BR, 13 with Sabanaman and 12 were found low level of iodine.
Dr. Rehana Ferdousi, Nutritionist at Samorita Hospital of the city, told The New Nation that presence of high level of pesticide in vegetables is a threat to public health.
“The higher level of contamination in vegetables can harm both adult and children. It can cause chronic diseases like kidney failure, lever malfunctioning and cancer,” Dr. Ferdousi opined.
She added: “High level of awareness required among consumers and such contamination decrease food values also causes critical diseases and act as public health threat.”
President of Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Ghulam Rahman suggested the farmers for using natural methods of pest control instead of chemical pesticides.
He suggested that, “Farmers should use more organic and natural methods of pest control in the production stages. Sex pheromone, lighting method and organic pest control can reduce such risk of public health.”
“Beside authorities should increase monitoring in the markets as well as field level for reducing chemical pesticides. Consumers have to be cautious while consuming such foods to avoid health risk and hazards,” Rahman added.
