Almost in every cooked food item like biscuits, cakes, sweetmeat and fish and meat curry in hotels, and fruits like banana, papya, orange, peach etc., different kinds of preservatives and additives are used that are harmful for human health. Even raw fish,
meat and vegetables are also dipped in chemicals to give them a fresh look. The users of these chemicals have no idea regarding the amount to be used to keep them safe for human health.
Food contamination and food adulteration situation of Bangladesh is a serious public health concern. Unsafe/contaminated food causes many acute and life-long diseases, ranging from diarrheal diseases to various forms of cancer. An estimate shows that globally food-borne and waterborne diarrheal diseases taken together kill about 2.2 million people annually, of them 1.9 million are children.
However, in Bangladesh dependable assessment of the public health impact due to food contamination is not available due to absence of a regular monitoring system. The data from ICDDR,B indicate that 501 hospital visits per day for treatment of diarrhea that were
attributable to food and water borne causes. General scenario on food contamination demonstrates a widespread non compliance with hygienic practice in food handling both among food producers and food traders such as street food traders.
Food contamination and food
adulteration situation of Bangladesh
is a serious public health concern
Food adulteration with harmful chemicals is also common in Bangladesh. The chronic effect of such events such as cancer, kidney disorders and birth defects is unlikely to be observed in short term, because the manifestation of the disease only occurs after long-term, low-level exposure. Food contamination and consumers exposure to food hazards have major implication on the food security and consumers heath in Bangladesh.
It is a matter of great concern how hundreds of factories can continue to produce and market highly hazardous food items without having any certificates from BSTI! People have been consuming poisonous milk and milk products without ever suspecting the attractive packaging. Milk products, ice cream, toffee, juice, jam, jelly etc are being produced completely with harmful chemicals though labels claim use of fresh milk and fruits.
We understand CAB is one organization that works in this regard. But, it is baffling indeed how a factory could go on producing and marketing “Fresh Milk” under the nose of the authority for 9 years!