Representatives from the country’s leading industrial enterprises have demanded that private organizations inform the relevant regulatory body and allow an opportunity for verification before publishing research reports on the presence of microplastics or other harmful elements in consumer goods, including toothpaste.
At the same time, they called for the formulation of a clear law or policy regarding the publication of such research reports.
Speakers raised these demands on Thursday during a public hearing organized at the BSTI (Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution) headquarters in Tejgaon, Dhaka.
The chief guest of the event was BSTI director general (secretary) Kazi Imdadul Hoque.
Joint secretary for industries Md Saiful Islam, attended as special guest.
The event was presided over by BSTI director (administration) Md Saiful Islam.
Speaking at the public hearing, BSTI director general Kazi Imdadul Hoque said that BSTI evaluates every research study seriously and emphasized the need for quality research in the country.
However, he noted that research findings should not be published in a manner that creates unnecessary panic or confusion among the public. He added that if BSTI, as the regulatory body, had been informed before the results of the research on microplastics in toothpaste were published, it would have been more coordinated and acceptable.
He further stated that there is currently no reason to panic regarding the presence of microplastics in toothpaste, as no recognized global standard has established an acceptable limit for this element.
BSTI's relevant expert committee will review international standards, including those of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), to take the necessary decisions on this matter.
Representatives from industrial enterprises argued that there is no guarantee that research conducted by a private entity always follows internationally recognized methods. Therefore, reviewing or verifying the findings with regulatory bodies prior to publication would help avoid confusion.
Md Sohel Hossain, senior legal counsel in the legal and regulatory affairs department at Square Group, noted that toothpaste is a product covered under BSTI's mandatory quality certification. Consequently, discussions with BSTI should have taken place before publishing the results of such research. This would have provided an opportunity to verify the actual facts and avoid unnecessary confusion and financial losses for businesses.
Citing a recent incident, Md Shafiqur Rahman Bhuiyan, international marketing adviser at Olympic Industries, pointed out that although claims were made regarding the presence of potassium bromate in several bakery products, subsequent testing by BSTI and the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) found no trace of the chemical.
However, prior to that, negative publicity had already caused irreparable damage to the reputation and business of the company concerned.
Speakers stated that publishing incomplete or unverified research leads to negative publicity or "media trials" across news outlets and social media platforms. This misleads consumers while damaging company market positions and reputations.
Several proposals were also raised during the public hearing aimed at making BSTI services simpler and more business-friendly.
These included launching an online payment system, providing options to submit all applications and required documents online, accepting online renewal applications alongside new license requests, formulating a Bangladesh standard for growing-up milk for children aged 3 to 5 years, and updating specific clauses of packaged commodities laws and regulations.
Representatives from various industrial enterprises attended the event, including Square Food & Beverage, Pran-RFL Group, Nestlé Bangladesh, Bangladesh Edible Oil, Transcom Consumer Products, Akij Resource, New Zealand Dairy Bangladesh, ACI Food & Beverage, Unilever Bangladesh, Marico Bangladesh, Meghna Group, Reckitt Benckiser, Arla Foods Bangladesh, IFAD Group, Nabisco Biscuit, and Mega Group of Industries.
