Govt moves to amend law to stop sales of toxic milk

The government yesterday took a move to amend the breast milk substitute regulation of marketing ordinance to prevent sales of health hazardous contaminated milk in the local market.
It (the government) will also form a taskforce involving high-ups from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Commerce, Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN) and Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) to determine future measures about the emerged situation.
The taskforce will also suggest taking punitive actions against importers, dealers and wholesalers who were involved in import of contaminated powdered milk from China.
Health and Family Welfare Adviser AMM Shawkat Ali said these to the newsmen at a press conference at his secretariat office.
Shawkat Ali said in the proposed amendment to the Breast Milk Substitute Regulation of Marketing Ordinance-1984, it has been suggested five years' jail and Tk 1 lakh fine as punishment for the offenders.
The draft copy of the amendment will be submitted to the law ministry soon for verification and after the vetting the proposal will be placed before the Council of Advisers for its final approval, he said.
The taskforce will find out how the unregistered powdered milk entered the country and who were involved in the incident, the health adviser said.
The taskforce will also instruct the Customs Department so such unregistered powdered milk cannot enter the country, he said.
He said the government has imposed ban on sales of powdered milk of three brands, as those may be a threat to public health.
Shawkat Ali said powdered milk worth Tk 575 crore was imported in 2007 and Tk 748 crore in 2006.