Adulterated ghee, butter oil flood local markets,says CAB
Friday, 12 December 2008
FE Report
Local markets are flooded with adulterated ghee and butter oil, posing a serious threat to public health, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has revealed in its report.
The report on adulterated ghee and butter oil was released at a views exchange meeting held at the CAB office in the capital on Sunday.
Referring to a Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute (BSTI)-conducted recent report on ghee and butter oil, the CAB said, the BSTI authorities tested 12 brands of ghee a few days ago. Of these, ten brands of ghee have been found adulterated.
According to the BSTI report, 83.33 percent ghee and butter oil available in the markets throughout the country is not suitable for human consumption and injurious to public health, it said.
It said BSTI also tested two brands of butter oil. One of the two brands of butter oil was found contaminated.
A section of unscrupulous businessmen have been producing these adulterated commodities in the country for long. They use substandard oil, vegetable fat, boiled potatoes and different kinds of colour along with animal fat and aromatic chemicals to manufacture the products. These adulterated commodities are being sold in the markets throughout the country without any obstruction by any government agencies, the report mentioned.
At the views exchange meeting, professor of Dhaka University Dr.H.K.M. Yousuf said, adulteration of food products by mixing ingredients and colours injurious to public health is seriously affecting all irrespective of gender and age. The babies and children are the main victims of contaminated food, he said.
Demanding constitution of an organization like Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States of America in the country to permanently stop food adulteration and ensure pure and quality food production in the country, CAB president Borhan Ahmed said, the unscrupulous traders and manufacturers cannot be abstained from producing, marketing and selling substandard commodities in the country without formulating laws with provisions for exemplary punishment, including death sentence, in this regard.
Urging the government to ban production, marketing and sales of contaminated and substandard commodities in the country, he demanded immediate withdrawal of all sorts of adulterated products from the market.
The City Corporations, Municipalities and Thana Sanitary Inspectors, including BSTI, should play proper role in ridding of all kinds of food products harmful to consumers' health, he opined.
Local markets are flooded with adulterated ghee and butter oil, posing a serious threat to public health, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has revealed in its report.
The report on adulterated ghee and butter oil was released at a views exchange meeting held at the CAB office in the capital on Sunday.
Referring to a Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute (BSTI)-conducted recent report on ghee and butter oil, the CAB said, the BSTI authorities tested 12 brands of ghee a few days ago. Of these, ten brands of ghee have been found adulterated.
According to the BSTI report, 83.33 percent ghee and butter oil available in the markets throughout the country is not suitable for human consumption and injurious to public health, it said.
It said BSTI also tested two brands of butter oil. One of the two brands of butter oil was found contaminated.
A section of unscrupulous businessmen have been producing these adulterated commodities in the country for long. They use substandard oil, vegetable fat, boiled potatoes and different kinds of colour along with animal fat and aromatic chemicals to manufacture the products. These adulterated commodities are being sold in the markets throughout the country without any obstruction by any government agencies, the report mentioned.
At the views exchange meeting, professor of Dhaka University Dr.H.K.M. Yousuf said, adulteration of food products by mixing ingredients and colours injurious to public health is seriously affecting all irrespective of gender and age. The babies and children are the main victims of contaminated food, he said.
Demanding constitution of an organization like Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States of America in the country to permanently stop food adulteration and ensure pure and quality food production in the country, CAB president Borhan Ahmed said, the unscrupulous traders and manufacturers cannot be abstained from producing, marketing and selling substandard commodities in the country without formulating laws with provisions for exemplary punishment, including death sentence, in this regard.
Urging the government to ban production, marketing and sales of contaminated and substandard commodities in the country, he demanded immediate withdrawal of all sorts of adulterated products from the market.
The City Corporations, Municipalities and Thana Sanitary Inspectors, including BSTI, should play proper role in ridding of all kinds of food products harmful to consumers' health, he opined.