Consumers still feel unsafe about food
Nearly two years into passage of the Food Safety Act 2013 and six months into formation of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), consumers are still anxious about food adulteration in the country, said speakers yesterday.
Many consumers, agricultural scientists, rights activists, and policy planners, at a seminar, demanded that the BFSA inform the public about its progress in enforcing the act which came into force amidst a huge public outcry over widespread food adulteration.
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (Barc) and Bangladesh Safe Agro-Foods Efforts (BSAFE Foundation), a non-government organisation, jointly organised the seminar in the capital's Barc auditorium to discuss people's expectations from the BFSA.
Referring to the overuse of chemicals in pineapples and bananas, former food minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, who was instrumental in piloting the food safety act, said people need to know why BFSA is taking such a long time to enforce the law.
At the seminar, UN Food and Agriculture Organization's Chief Technical Advisor in Bangladesh John Ryder, however, said six more months might be needed to make the food safety authorities fully operational and in the meantime Ireland's food safety authorities were providing support to strengthen the BFSA.
BSAFE Foundation President Dr M Zainal Abedin mentioned that no representative from BFSA attended the seminar even though they were invited. “But BSFA assured us of considering recommendations made in this seminar,” he added.
Farmers' rights activist Farida Akhter of Ubinig called for labelling food items derived from genetic modification so that consumers can make choice while buying foods from markets.
Barc Executive Chairman Dr Abul Kalam Azad, BSAFE Foundation General Secretary Ataur Rahman, ACI Agribusiness Executive Director Dr FH Ansary, and Barc's former member director Dr Khalequzzaman Akand Chowdhury also spoke.
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