Monitor every step for food safety

To ensure safe and contamination-free food, the authorities concerned have to strengthen monitoring at every step of food production and supply, said speakers at a roundtable yesterday.

They also urged farmers, manufacturers, sellers and other people involved in the food supply chain to maintain ethics, and to be more cautious while using fertiliser and pesticides and storing crops.

The Prothom Alo in association with Shwapno, a grocery chain and retail brand, organised the roundtable on “Safe food for all” at the newspaper's office in the capital.

Speaking at the programme, agriculture development activist Shykh Seraj said the efforts to ensure safe food must start from the beginning stages of production -- such as from soil or water.

“Farmers are bound to use pesticides as they want to save their crops by any means. But, we have to teach them how to control insects and pests in alternative ways. Also, how to choose right pesticides and use it effectively,” he said.

Shykh Seraj, also the director (news) of channel-i, suggested the government to train the farmers on using different traps -- like smell, colour and pattern -- for pest control.

“Many pesticides harmful to human body are still being used... How are the pesticides available in the market?” he asked.

He also stressed the need for a strict implementation of Consumer Right Protection Act.

Md Shahiduzzaman, a professor of Bangladesh Agricultural University, recommended training up the farmers to use modern technology in agricultural production and pest control.

Both chemical and microbiological elements can cause food contamination at any stage of food chain, he said.

He suggested the government to establish a modern laboratory to identify food contamination properly.

Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque, chairman of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority; Abdul Quayum, associate editor of the newspaper; and Sabbir Hasan Nasir, executive director of ACI Logistics Limited; also spoke.