Beware of fattened cattle meat

Consumption of fattened cattle meat exposes public health to serious hazards. Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA), a rights organisation, warned people last week that vital organs of a human body would suffer permanent damage if a person eats meat of animals fattened with steroids and different kinds of banned drugs.

This paper, in a report published on September 11 last, quoted a written statement issued by POBA as saying that a section of unscrupulous traders are engaged in fattening their cattle as quickly as possible before ensuing Eid-ul-Azha when the demand for sacrificial animals rises manifold.

The cattle dealers are using steroids, chemicals and various other tablets belonging to anti-histamine group, the POBA statement says. POBA leader Dr. Lelin Chowdhury read out a written statement at POBA office in Dhanmondi area in the city.

The farmers in rural area, Dr Lelin said, are encouraged by the traders to use a variety of chemicals so that the animals are fattened within a period of three to eight weeks.

 In order to earn large amount of profits within the shortest period particularly before Eid-ul-Azha, the farmers are taught how to use urea, steroids and anti-histamine drugs by injections. If people continue to consume this meat their vital organs will be affected, Dr. Lelin Chowdhury told reporters.

Executive secretary of POBA, Md Abdus Sobhan, put forward an estimate at the press conference saying that about 20% of sacrificial animals are fattened each year. He called upon the government to take steps so that cattle breeders are prevented from using chemicals to fatten animals. The

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) conducted a study on consumption of meat in Bangladesh. The study reveals that large quantities of beef and buffalo meat are consumed in Bangladesh as about 90% of the total population are Muslims. The study says that in 2005 the consumption of beef and buffalo meat in Bangladesh was two kg per head.

Besides hazards involved in consuming fattened cattle meat, tonnes of toxic poultry and fish feed flood markets across the country. As we reported earlier in this column,a mobile court ordered the relevant agency recently to destroy three hundred tonnes of poultry and fish feed produced by using toxic wastes from two hundred tanneries in city's Hazaribagh area.

The mobile court also ordered closure of four factories there. The tannery wastes contained chromium and other chemicals harmful to human body.

The court also instructed the authorities concerned to register cases against the factory owners on charge of producing poultry and fish feed with toxic tannery wastes.

The mobile court which conducted the drive at Hazaribagh with the help of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel also found a large godown, stacked with poultry and fish feed in hundreds of sacks. Heaps of discarded pieces of leather and other toxic ingredients were found stored in the factories for preparing feeds. The owners of the factories were reportedly absconding. The department of livestock is assigned to accord permission for producing and marketing of poultry feeds.

On the other hand, owners of a large number of factories producing poultry and fish feed with toxic tannery wastes have shifted their units to distant places across the river Buriganga.

The producers of poultry and fish feed have clearly violated a High Court (HC) order prohibiting use of tannery wastes.

The Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) in a test conducted earlier had found existence of heavy metals in poultry and fish feed. The feed is prepared with solid tannery wastes. The BCSIR also found lead in poultry feed at harmful levels. About two dozens of chemicals are applied to process leather. The tannery wastes, used for producing poultry and fish feed, therefore, turn into toxic substance.

In Dhaka city we are accustomed to see that mobile courts operate at intervals to check adulteration of food items. In private TV channels we often watch how foods are being prepared with toxic chemicals in most unhygienic condition.

Such drives have failed to achieve desired results as too many eating houses are engaged in this type of practice. It is, therefore, necessary to create mass awareness against the poisonous foods.

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