Test results of around 2000 sample food items collected by sanitary inspectors of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) show that 70 to 71 percent collected food items are adulterated, leaders of Bangladesh Sanitarians' Association (BSA) said at a press conference at the National Press Club.

Sanitary inspectors of district and upazila levels collect around 3000 sample food items across the country in every month and send them to the Institute of Public Health (IPH) at Mohakhali in the capital where 55 percent of the collected items have been found to be lacking standard quality, they said.

Stern action against the adulterators can not be taken due to the absence of appropriate laws and lack of manpower, they added.

They urged the government to amend the outdated laws and enforce them strictly to save the lives of the people.

"We have been dealing with some laws including the decades old 'Pure Food Ordinance-1959.' But none of them is effective enough to punish the big fish," said MA Rakib Chowdhury, president of the BSA.

Government should begin the special training programme for the food traders, he said.

There are 609 inspectors at district and upazila levels while the DCC has only 18 inspectors to monitor the foods and Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has only 25 officers, BSA Organising Secretary Mohammad Farukuddin Mobarak said.

Inspectors also demanded increasing their power to take action against food adulterators.

BSA Secretary General Mohammad Sultana Ahmed Siddique, among others, was present at the press conference.