Food adulteration: A silent epidemic

FE Team | Published: May 21, 2026 20:34:49

In today's market, finding pure and safe food has become increasingly difficult. Everyday essential items are frequently adulterated. Even food products meant for children are often contaminated with harmful chemicals, which pose a serious threat to public health and future generations.
Driven by greed for excessive profit, some dishonest traders are adding artificial colors, low-quality ingredients and toxic chemicals to food products. The impact of this is extremely dangerous. Diseases such as kidney and liver disorders, heart disease and cancer are increasing rapidly, even among younger people, silently damaging public health.
Food adulteration is not merely an individual problem; it is a national crisis. Its effects spread across all levels of society. An unhealthy population leads to reduced productivity, increased healthcare expenses and long-term economic pressure. Sadly, weak monitoring systems, poor enforcement of laws and lack of public awareness are making the situation even worse.
To overcome this crisis, strict enforcement of laws is essential. Regular market monitoring, intensive mobile court operations and strict punishment for offenders must be ensured to discourage such harmful practices. At the same time, consumer awareness must be increased so that people become more careful while buying food, check product quality and avoid suspicious items.
Ensuring safe food is not the responsibility of any single individual or institution. It is a shared social duty. Only through the combined efforts of the government, traders and consumers can we build a healthier, safer and more prosperous nation.
Ibrahim Ibney Aziz
Department of Sociology
University of Dhaka