A study report has revealed that unscrupulous traders across the country are selling at least three dozen of food items, except for potatoes, with adulteration, severely affecting human health.
The list of adulterated items includes edible soybean oil, milk, mustard oil, turmeric, flour, ata, sweets, pepper, various spices, various fruits including mango, banana and papaya, chanachur, jilapi, different fishes and vegetables, among others.
The report also highlights the use of urea and steroid hormone for fattening cattle and poultry.
While people around the world are turning towards organic, unadulterated, and safe food, the country is still witnessing the vile and unhealthy competition of food adulteration.
A section of devious traders is harming human health by using various harmful chemicals, including calcium carbide, copper sulfate, lead chromate, hydrogen, potassium permanganate, urea, and non-food-grade artificial dyes and fragrances in various foods.
Additionally, unscrupulous food manufacturers are using used edible oil, burnt lubricants, and textile dyes to make food attractive for more profit. Even during the holy month of Ramadan, some traders use adulterated and burnt edible oil and non-food-grade artificial colours and fragrances for making iftar items.
Burnt edible oil is high in trans fats and is very harmful to health. Consuming food made from burnt edible oil can cause serious diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's, dementia and Parkinson's, among others.
The use of non-food-grade dyes and fragrances in food is known to increase the risks of various diseases, including cancer, skin diseases, and kidney and liver problems.
According to statistics, approximately 0.3 million people report cancer every year, 0.2 million people report kidney disease, 0.15 million people report diabetes and about 1.5 million disabled children are born every year due to physical complications of pregnant mothers.
The study report reveals that currently there are 10 million people suffering from diabetes, about 1.0-1.2 million people are suffering from kidney disease, and about 20-22 per cent of the total population is suffering from heart disease in the country.
In this situation, the country's sustainable development goals may be disrupted if quality food is not ensured for people.
A section of traders mixes adulterant ingredients mainly to increase the weight and taste of food goods, brighten colours and enhance flavours to attract consumers, increase the shelf life of such items and make profits illegally.
Mixing palm oil with soybean
The report highlights that around 65% of the edible oil is being sold in the loose format and 35% in the bottling format. Recently, different samples of loose edible oil from Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet, Chittagong, Khulna, and Barisal divisions were collected and tested for fatty acid composition by the Bangladesh Safe Food Authority.
After the experiment, the report mentions that differences between the obtained values of fatty acids and the standard values of edible oil were observed from the collected samples.
Reuse of cooking oil
According to the Regulation on Control of Trans Fatty Acids in Foodstuffs-2021, the maximum acceptable level of free fatty acids in edible oil is 2.0 per cent, excluding ruminant trans fatty acids.
However, used oil is again used repeatedly for frying different foods in hotels and restaurants. In many cases, fresh oil is mixed with burnt oil.
These burnt oils are commonly used for cooking fish and meat, as well as in many factories producing chips, chanachur, semai, and noodles, where they are reused repeatedly. This practice can increase the amount of harmful free fatty acids in burnt oil.
Violation of 'vitamin A' enrichment act
The enrichment of 'vitamin A' in edible oil and its sale for improving public health and preventing 'vitamin A' deficiency, as required by the Vitamin 'A' Enrichment in Edible Oil Act, 2013, involves storage, supply, marketing, and other obligations. Violating this law is unacceptable.
Some food manufacturing establishments use non-food grade dyes and flavourings, which is unethical. They may even use dyes and fragrances intended for the textile industry, rather than those recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is formed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
Plenty supply of polished rice
Auto-rice mills often polish rice to various degrees to make it smooth and attractive, but this can damage its nutritional value. The higher the polish, the lower the vitamin B or thiamine content, while protein, fat, and other nutrients increase as polishing decrease.
Therefore, the large supply of polished rice in the market may not be as beneficial to consumers as expected.
To address these issues, a report prepared by the Special Branch of Bangladesh Police has recommended strengthening the monitoring system and legal actions against producers and marketers of adulterated edible oil.
The report also suggests taking measures to prevent the reuse of burnt cooking oil by food processing establishments, promoting the establishment of bio-diesel manufacturing plants from burnt edible oil, and ensuring the vitamin A enrichment of edible oils.
Furthermore, the report recommends prohibiting the sale of any food dyes, fragrances, preservatives, antioxidants, stabilisers, and other chemicals without INS code, as well as implementing a rice polishing policy that maintains the nutritional quality of rice. Legal actions against importers, sellers, and users of banned chemicals and measures to stop the sale of such chemicals have also been proposed.
Capacity building of state agencies recommended
To ensure effective food quality control, the report suggests building the capacity and enhancing the role of all state agencies, including the Department of Health, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution, and the Consumer Protection Directorate.
While the concerned government authorities have been working on these issues and law enforcement agencies have been taking action against violations, more efforts are needed to protect public health and prevent food adulteration.
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