THE government decision to intensify Mobile Court drives to check the sale of stale, adulterated food ahead of the month of Ramzan deserves appreciation. Food Secretary and Chairman of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) jointly made the disclosure after a meeting with stakeholders at the latter’s office in the city two days back. Their decision to standardize all tests to be carried out during such drives is also critical to satisfy the shop owners that Mobile Court are not charging them arbitrarily but on the basis if scientific proof.
Consumption during the month of Ramzan sharply goes up because people buy more and try to eat fresh food or at least not stale food often sold in departmental stores and city’s open market. Traders also often sell products with expired dates and naturally people would like to see that the market is under strict monitoring to ensure quality of food items in Ramzan and also beyond it round the year.
The decision for intensive Mobile Court visit came after Mobile Courts discovered stale food items in several city superstores last month. The Court on that occasion had fined several superstores and sentenced some managers for selling time expired products. The action was protested by over 100 superstores across the country keeping their doors shut for a day demanding assurance from the government that Mobile Courts would not harass them as it may like. But the Food Secretary defended such drives saying when people will sell date-expired food and rotten fish it is visible but the authorities accept their demand for scientific test to hold somebody accountable for selling rotten food.
We believe that vigilance of the appropriate food monitoring agencies is very essential to protect public health but occasional inspection by Mobile Courts is not enough to make sure that stores and city shops are maintaining quality of the merchandise. When such quality inspection may become regular superstores will remain alert and other traders in city markets will also try to sell fresh products.
We have said it many times that the Health Ministry should play a regular role to ensure quality of every kind of food. Mobile Courts are for dealing with serious but urgent situations. The courts by their nature are arbitrary, in the sense that they have to decide on a sudden inspection. So the authority must not be arbitrary and listen to shop owners demands.
We will also say that owners of super shops and city markets should remember that customers pay high price in the hope that they will get the best quality of food. They must not compromise on the quality of food items they sell and which people buy on trust.
