Waging a war on food adulteration

Adulteration is rampant in the country. It is very difficult to find a food item which is free of adulteration. Vegetables, fish, milk, fruit, sweetmeats, ice cream, spices -- nothing is safe. Almost every day in the print and electronic media, items on food adulteration are reported. Carbide, formalin, textile colours, artificial sweeteners, DDT, urea etc. are used frequently for food adulteration.
Adulteration of food items with toxic chemicals poses a serious threat to public health. In a country like Bangladesh, due to poor health literacy among citizens, the level of awareness about widespread food adulteration practice is very low. The immediate effect of consumption of adulterated foods might be severe. The adulteration practice has left millions of consumers at serious health risks. In the long run harmful chemicals used in food adulteration adversely affect vital organs in human body, including the liver, kidney and heart. People suffer from organ failure or even cancer, and untimely loss lives, prematurely.
Ironically, people from all walks of life are aware of the hazards of taking foods adulterated with toxic chemicals. But they are mere spectators. Because, repeated pledges made by the authorities to stop food adulteration have not been translated into practice. As a result, though people are aware of the health hazards of consuming adulterated food items, they are nevertheless buying and consuming these adulterated foods. Explanations for this paradox, among others, are absence or unavailability of non-adulterated food, failure of the regulatory agency to test and screen out adulterated food, cultural factors, food habits, etc.
There is no paucity of laws and regulations to contain adulteration of food in Bangladesh. They include: 1. Penal Code, 1860 (PC 1860), 2. Control of Essential Commodities Act, 1956 (CECA 1956), 3. Food (Special Courts) Act, 1956 (FA 1956), 4. Pure Food Ordinance, 1959 (PFO 1959), 5. Cantonments Pure Food Act, 1966 (CPFA 1966), 6. Pesticide Ordinance, 1971 (PO 1971), 7. Special Powers Act, 1974 (SPA 1974), 8. Fish and Fish Products (Inspection and Control), Ordinance, 1983 (FFPO 1983), 9. The Breast-Milk Substitutes (Regulation of Marketing) Ordinance, 1984 (BMSO 1984), 10. Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Ordinance, 1985 (BSTIO 1985), 11. Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Act, 1989 (IDDPA 1989), 12. Vokta Odhikar Songrokkhon Ain, 2009 (Consumers Rights Protection Act 2009), 13. Sthanio Sarkar (City Corporation) Ain, 2009 {Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009}, 14. Sthanio Sarkar (Pouroshava) Ain, 2009 [Local Government (Pouroshava) Act 2009], 15. Mobile Court Ain, 2009 [Mobile Court Act 2009].
It is important to note that use of such a large number of laws for a single purpose like food safety is quite unusual and unprecedented in the world.
The government's body for consumers' rights protection has only 19 teams to monitor markets across Bangladesh. Is it possible for 19 teams to check and control widespread food adulteration practice in the country? The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) appears to be apathetic and insufficient in strength in checking food adulteration. It is also not possible for a single institution to stop food adulteration.
Many in the government and public domain have tried to voice their concerns on food adulteration. Many have suggested taking punitive actions against the offenders, who poison our food. But all these have clearly failed to prevent the injection of formalin or carbide or any such substance into our food.
A recent study has found that many fruits and food items sold in markets across the country are laced with formalin, a dangerous chemical used for preventing foods from rotting. Meanwhile, the environmental activists' group Paribesh Bachao Andolon (PABA) disclosed its dreadful findings on the use of formalin after collecting 263 samples of fruit and traditional Iftar items from different parts in Dhaka.
The group has found 100 per cent of vermicelli and citrus fruit, 95 per cent of grapes, 91 per cent of bananas, 90 per cent of noodles, 82 per cent of mangoes, 77 per cent of dates, 75 per cent of tomatoes, 60 per cent of eggplants, 59 per cent of apples and 20 per cent of cucumbers contaminated with formalin and other harmful chemical preservatives.
The authorities concerned should wage a sustained campaign to establish people's fundamental right to have safe and nutritious food and against those engaged in food adulteration. For this to achieve, enforcement of existing laws under one umbrella needs to be ensured. The government needs to help promote awareness-building campaign among consumers. Promotion of ethical practices among the business community is also needed with active participation of the business leaders. The consumer rights groups should be more vocal and play active role in developing a mass campaign/movement in the country to end the food adulteration menace.
The writer is correspondent of American International News Service, and conservator of wildlife and environment. [email protected]