Safe food consumption to ensure sound health underscored

FE Team | Published: June 07, 2022 21:46:31

RAJSHAHI, June 07 (BSS): Safe food consumption has become crucial to maintain sound health and all quarters who are engaged in producing, manufacturing, processing and marketing of food should discharge their duties with utmost sincerity and honesty to reach safe food to the consumers in general.
At present, the country has almost attained food security and time has come to ensure food safety to build sound public health everywhere in the society.
The observation came at a discussion on Tuesday by administrative officials, experts and business leaders who unequivocally called for concerted efforts of all concerned to ensure food safety.
District office of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) hosted the discussion at Master Chef Restaurant to mark the World Food Safety Day 2022. 'Safer food, better health' was the main theme of the day this year.
Commissioner of Rajshahi division GSM Zafarullah addressed the meeting as the chief guest, while Food Safety Officer Lokman Hossain welcomed the participants.
Divisional Director of the Department of Livestock Nazrul Islam, District Livestock Officer Dr Zulfiker Akter Hossain and Prof Sayeeda Anju from the Department of Law in Rajshahi University disseminated their expertise on the issue.
President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industries Masudur Rahman and local unit president of Restaurant Owners Association Riaz Ahmed Khan also spoke.
Commissioner Zafarullah said the fight against food adulteration has intensified after the government established BFSA in 2015 stressing the need for creating mass awareness among all levels of people to check food waste and adulteration.
Highlighting the success of the present government towards attaining food surplus he underscored the need for creating mass awareness to fight against the food waste and adulteration malpractices.
Prof Sayeeda Anju mentioned that adulterated and contaminated foods always pose a serious threat to the public health and called for taking punitive measures against the food adulteration and contamination so that no more dare to commit such types of crimes.
The existing acts and the law enforcers alone would never be able to salvage the situation unless people from all walks of life became aware of the harms of taking adulterated foods and took firm stand against such immoral mindset.
"We need the people to come forward to stop these harmful practices," she added.
Chamber leader Rahman said concerted efforts of all the government and non-government organizations concerned have become indispensable for protecting agriculture from all sorts of pollution and contamination to ensure food safety. Besides, utmost emphasis should be given on freeing the markets from all sorts of unhygienic and unsafe foods because those are injurious to public health.
All the street food selling shops and hotels should be brought under close monitoring and vigilance to debar them from selling unhygienic and contaminated foods on an urgent basis, he added.