Are the foods we take nutritious?

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THE actions by the mobile courts must not be limited to only examining the foods and warning the offenders -- food adulterators. They will have to be subjected to notable penalties such as cash fines in big amounts and they even be made to suffer imprisonment for the deterrent effect to be created from such examples. Moreover, it would also be necessary to draw the attention of the sellers of the hazardous foods about what great harms they are doing to the consumers from their unsafe practices. Publicities as well as persuasion in this regard can be significantly contributory to motivating the sellers in giving up such activities.
Meanwhile, the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) sometime ago released the results of its findings which was shocking to say the least. It disclosed that after a thorough testing, 16 out of 18 largely consumed, branded powdered and pasteurized milk were found to be substandard ones. The same included nearly all of the most heavily consumed brands. There was one reassuring side to the findings: the milks were found to be substandard, not for adulteration or impurities in them, but for lacking in the vital nutrients for which milk is usually taken by consumers.
Thus, while there is no ill-prospect of getting sick from drinking such milk on a regular basis, it certainly becomes a question mark whether the nutritional needs of people are being met from drinking such milk or whether they are getting their money's worth.
In this context, it is to be noted here that consumers at the moment have no choice. They cannot do without most of these foods and knowingly or unknowingly consume them that lead progressively to illnesses. They also get no proper nourishment from such foods. Only drives by mobile courts and conducting such drives on a long lasting basis can realistically be expected to bring about positive changes.
All concerned would only express the hope that the enforcement of the recently passed comprehensive consumer protection would help create the necessary legal environment for taking actions against food producers and caterers who serve adulterated food items as well as substandard ones such as those lacking in the necessary nutrients which are advertised.
Kabita Rahman
Gulshan, Dhaka