First-ever food, chemical lab expo today

The first-ever Food and Chemical Lab Exposition is going to be held at the Bangabandhu International Convention Centre in Dhaka today. 

The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) and the United States Department of Agriculture-funded Bangladesh Trade Facilitation (BTF) Project made the announcement at a press conference at the auditorium of the Capital Market Journalists' Forum yesterday.

The objective of the expo is to highlight the strong capacity of the network of food and chemical laboratories in the country in a bid to build public trust in them and ensure safe food for all.

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder is expected to inaugurate the expo.

"The exposition will target to create an effective network between public and private sector laboratories so they can be more actively engaged in food safety management for local consumers and contribute to exports," said Md Abdul Kayowm, chairman of the BFSA.

He emphasised that the BFSA is working relentlessly to ensure food safety by coordinating among the government, the private sector, and testing institutes.

"The exposition will be a platform to share knowledge and experiences about technologies, best practices, and international standards in food safety issues."

Michael J Parr, director of the BTF Project, said the BTF is supporting laboratories to develop their capacities in order to strengthen their roles and give a boost to their contribution to the cross-border trade of farm produce.

Despite having immense potential, laboratories in Bangladesh are underutilised due to a lack of knowledge and access to information on the capacities and services they provide, he said.

"The expo will attempt to raise awareness of the services provided by various public and private laboratories. Building trust in private laboratories is another objective that the expo is trying to achieve."

The event will be attended by 38 public and private laboratories and six machinery suppliers.

A scientific session styled "Ensuring Food Safety, Promoting Trade: The Role of Accredited Laboratories" will be organised during the expo, which is open to visitors from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Md Rejaul Karim and Monzur Morshed Ahmed, both members of the BFSA, and Quamrun Nahar, technical adviser of the BTF Project, were also present at the press conference.