Greens demand safe seasonal fruits
Environmental activists at a discussion yesterday demanded that the government take effective steps to ensure the supply of safe seasonal fruits to the consumers.
They said seasonal fruits like mango, jackfruit, litchi, blackberry and pineapple will be available from May, but the past experiences show that different chemicals were used in those and marketing of the fruits was rampant, putting public health at risk.
Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba), a voluntary environmental organisation, arranged the discussion at its Dhanmandi office in the capital.
Chaired by former chairman of Bangladesh Public Service Commission Ekram Ahmed, the discussion was addressed, among others, by Poba chairman Abu Naser Khan, former chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council Dr Khalequzzaman Akand Chowdhury.
They said people do not know how safe the fruits are as unscrupulous traders use various chemicals, including formalin, to keep those fresh.
The environmentalists put forward a set of recommendations, which include proper implementation of the Safe Food Act 2013 and Formalin Control Act 2015, taking effective steps to stop chemical use in fruits, setting up food court at district level and strengthening the monitoring on food adulteration.
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