The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) is set to complete its ongoing survey of hotels and restaurants in the next one month, official sources said.
The BFSA, which is under the Ministry of Food, started the survey on April 2 to look into the food safety and hygiene standards at the eateries with a view to ensuring safe food for all.
"We hope we will be able to complete the survey within the next one month," BFSA Chairman Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque told the FE.
The BFSA has initially set a target to carry out the survey at around 250 hotels and restaurants in the capital, he said.
It has so far surveyed around 60 restaurants.
Hotels and restaurants located at Motijeel, Dilkusha, Purana Paltan, Topkhana Road, Gulistan, Baily Road, Shantinagar and other adjoining areas will be covered in the first phase of survey.
The BFSA launched the survey at Hotel Kasturi (Pvt) Ltd at Purana Paltan in the capital.
Restaurant owners who attended the programme had expressed their commitment to provide safe food to the customers.
They also promised not to indulge in food adulteration and sale of unhygienic food.
After completing the survey, the authorities will give time to the hotel and restaurant owners who are not following good hygiene practice to bring about changes in their business establishments and ensure safe foods for customers, the BFSA chairman said.
After the survey, the BFSA will label the hotels as 'green' (completely safe for food consumption), 'yellow' (not completely safe) and 'red' (not safe at all). The red-category ones will be shut down if they fail to improve their food hygiene standards within a deadline set by the BFSA.
The BFSA, set up on February 2, 2015, has the authority to monitor the activities relating to production, import, processing, stockpiling, supplying, marketing and sales of food and to ensure the people's right and access to safe food.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com