The government has categorically denied the existence of fake eggs in the country, dubbing the news of such eggs being sold in local market “a hoax”.
In a recently issued public notice, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) said it had found no trace of adulterated eggs anywhere in the country.
“Misleading reports have been circulating widely on the social media platforms that fake eggs are being sold in the markets, creating panic among the consumers,” the food safety authority said. “It is unfortunate.”
However, on Sunday, police seized around 3,000 eggs suspected to be artificial during a raid in Patiya upazila, Chittagong.
They also arrested two men – an egg shop owner and an egg supplier – suspected to be involved in the trade and marketing of fake eggs.
Also Read- Suspected fake eggs sent to Chittagong court for examination
Patiya police station OC Neyamat Ullah said they had been tipped off by a local magistrate about the eggs.
The magistrate said he had bought eggs from a shop in Patiya's Kamal Bazar area. When his wife broke one open, she grew suspicious as the egg appeared to be addled with a runny yolk.
Neyamat said police had asked a local court to arrange for a test to find out if the confiscated eggs were, indeed, adulterated.
In its announcement, the BFSA said some eggs might be naturally defective outwardly – they may have soft or no shells, the yolk may be unusual in colour, there may be double yolks, or there may be blood clots.
But these defects do not mean that the eggs are fake.
When contacted, BFSA member Mahbub Kabir told the Dhaka Tribune that it was not feasible to sell artificial eggs in Bangladesh.
“A chicken farmer sells an egg for Tk4-5 on average which is sold at Tk8 in the market. An artificial egg, if there was any, would cost more to manufacture,” he said.
Thursday, March 27, 2025
