Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution’s (BSTI) Chittagong regional office will soon have a full-fledged modern microbiological laboratory, ending its dependance on the BSTI’s Dhaka lab for the crucial testings.
Microbial tests, which check the presence of microorganisms, are used for product safety and to look for signs of contamination in products before they are sold to the public.
Food ingredients and food products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and water are common sources of samples for the tests which confirm that the products are safe for distribution and consumption.
Chittagong BSTI’s Senior Examiner Khorshed Alam said the laboratory would be furnished with modern equipment. “It will likely be launched within a couple of months. We have already procured almost all necessary equipment and accessories for the lab,” Alam, also the BSTI’s deputy quality manager, added. The lab will cost about Tk38 lakh.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, BSTI Assistant Director Mostak Ahammed said: “Currently, we have to send samples to the laboratories of Dhaka BSTI or Chittagong BCSIR for microbial testing. The process is a bit dilatory and consequently the clients have to wait. Once our lab starts functioning, the clients will no longer have to wait.”
At the microbiological laboratory, the Chittagong BSTI will be able to test nine types of products under a total of six parameters. The products are fruit juice, fruit syrup, concentrated fruit juice, tomato ketchup, tooth paste, soft drink powder, skin cream, lipstick and shampoo.
The six parameters under which the products will be tested are total count, Coliform bacteria count, yeast and mould count, detection of Salmonella, detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and determination of Escherichia coli also known as E. coli bacteria. Salmonella is best known as a cause of bacterial food poisoning and enteric (typhoid) fever. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium which causes many deadly diseases for humans.
“We have been demanding a microbial lab in Chittagong for a long time. We hope the new lab will be of great service to us. At present, the microbial testing procedure in Chittagong is time consuming since it takes a couple of days. The samples should be tested without delay for actual results,” said Mohammad Shahid Ullah, production manager of Sanowara Drinks and Beverage Industries Ltd.
Welcoming the move, SM Nazer Hossain, vice president of Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh (CAB) hoped the launch of a full-fledged microbial lab in Chittagong would mitigate the suffering of clients to a great extent.
“The BSTI should increase its facilities much more since it is a service providing agency. The government should allocate sufficient fund to the BSTI so that it can provide better services to the people,” Nazer added.
