Following a recent survey that found alarming levels of adulteration in different food products in Dhaka city, the Institute of Public Health (IPH) is set to conduct a fresh nationwide survey to analyse the country’s overall food safety situation.
The IPH will collect samples of different fruits, vegetables, milk, milk products, fish, dry fish and turmeric powder from the district-level kitchen markets to be tested at the National Food Safety Laboratory.
Initially, samples would be collected from 17 districts by the respective district and upazila sanitary inspectors through the district civil surgeon’s offices.
IPH Director Dr Subimal Sinha Choudhury confirmed about the institute’s plan to conduct an analysis, but added that the plan had not yet been finalised.
A list of food products would need to be prepared for checking different chemicals like pesticide, insecticide, preservatives and colouring agents at the food safety lab, he added.
Claiming that the lab did not have any individual budget for carrying out its activities, Dr Subimal said the IPH has placed a budget of Tk2.6 crore for medical and surgical requisites at the lab.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has reportedly been providing technical assistance to run the food safety lab.
Earlier last month, the IPH carried out tests in different markets in the capital and found that around 50% vegetables and 35% fruits were contaminated with unsafe level of pesticides. The amount of pesticides was three to 20 times greater than the limits set by the European Union.
The findings of that survey were handed over to Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, who reportedly directed the IPH to carry out the countrywide analysis of the food safety situation.
A senior IPH official, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that the authorities concerned did not have a clear picture of the country’s food adulteration situation. Expressing hopes that the upcoming survey would shed light on the crisis, the official also claimed that the findings would also help prepare future plans.
The district and upazila sanitary inspectors usually send samples of 107 different food products to the IPH’s public health laboratory, which reportedly lacks the specialised instruments required to detect chemical and pesticides such as formalin, carbide, DTT and others.
Sources said during February and March this year, the public health laboratory received 327 and 311 food samples respectively sent by sanitary inspectors.
The lab found that 145 of the 327 samples in February were adulterated, while 129 of the 311 samples in March were also adulterated. However, the sources could not disclose the list of products that were found to be adulterated.
