The government has initiated a big move to implement a Tk 24.10 billion (2,409.70 crore) project to set up one reference laboratory in Dhaka and two divisional laboratories in Chattogram and Khulna along with construction of buildings, other infrastructures to bolster the food safety efforts, reports BSS.
Bangladesh Food Safety Authority under the Ministry of Food will implement the project in this regard titled "Food Safety Testing Capacity Development Project" with an estimated cost of Tk 24.10 billion to be completed by December 2034.
Of the total project cost, Tk 3.90 billion will come from the government of Bangladesh portion while the rest of Tk 20.18 billion as loan from the Japan Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF).
The project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at the NEC Conference Room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area recently.
Talking to BSS, a Planning Commission official said that the main objective of the project is to set up one reference laboratory, office and training building in Dhaka and two divisional testing labs and office buildings in Chattogram and Khulna to enhance the concerned authority's safe food testing capacity.
Since Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world while 60 per cent of its population lives in the rural areas, they are susceptible to various food-borne diseases and fall in to risk of food safety due to high population density, lack of awareness on science-based food production and supply system, food supply chain infrastructures, the official said.
Diarrhea, typhoid and hepatitis are some of the food-borne diseases while perceiving this the interim government has taken initiative to establish international standard public reference food testing laboratory in order to test the standard of quality of foods through scientific method. The project has been undertaken considering all the import aspects of health and food safety, the official added.
Commenting on the project, Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud in the last ECNEC meeting said that food safety is a very important aspect for any country of the world.
The Planning Adviser noted that earlier in the past there were problems with the safety standards of Bangladeshi exportable items like agro products and shrimp towards expanding the export market.
Dr Mahmud also said that the development partner of the project JICA has assured that international standard technologies and methods would be used in these foods testing labs once the project is completed.
