Adulterated food threat to health security
Alam Sarowar Tito, Kishoreganj :
Food adulteration is not merely a matter of consumer dissatisfaction; it is a pressing public health crisis in Bangladesh.
It causes widespread illness, financial hardship, and long-term damage to public trust in food safety.
As a daily occurrence, food adulteration is a silent but dangerous menace, affecting millions of people every year.
The alarming spread of adulterated food products in Kishoreganj has become a severe threat to public health.
The use of contaminated ingredients in bakery items and desserts has become routine.
In addition, food is often served in unhygienic environments in hotels and restaurants, where hygiene regulations are ignored.
Even more worrying is the preparation of food using harmful colours and chemicals to enhance its appearance, directly endangering the lives of consumers.
This grim reality was revealed in a recent campaign by the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) and the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP).
Investigations have shown that adulteration is rampant in bakeries and sweet shops across the district. Low-quality ingredients, including rotten eggs, are being used in milk, ghee, flour, and sweets, alongside toxic chemicals.
Harmful colouring agents are added to sweets to make them look more attractive-substances which, according to officials involved in the campaign, can cause serious liver and kidney damage in the long run.
Authorities also report that not only bakeries and confectioneries but also hotels and restaurants in the city are in a worrying state.
Unhygienic kitchens, cockroaches moving freely in food areas, rat nests in food preparation spaces, and raw and cooked food stored together in refrigerators are common findings.
In many cases, harmful substances such as industrial salt, rancid oil, expired chemicals, and even paint are being used. Moreover, stale or mouldy food is often reheated and served to unsuspecting customers.
These adulterated foods are gradually becoming a major cause of chronic diseases.
Small factories producing adulterated chips have also sprung up in the city’s alleys, spreading their harmful products across the market and endangering everyone from children to the elderly.
The Pure Food Court of Kishoreganj has fined, sealed, and even jailed owners of hotels, restaurants, bakeries, sweet shops, flour mills, and other food-related businesses for food adulteration and unhygienic practices.
However, despite numerous irregularities being detected in repeated raids by DNCRP, BFSA, and the district administration, little significant change has taken place. Traders, after paying fines during these raids, often return to their old practices.
The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has warned that the menace of adulterated food is worsening daily due to the lack of strict enforcement of laws and the absence of regular monitoring.
Assistant Director of DNCRP, Shafiqul Islam, said:”The condition of many hotels and restaurants is terrible. We are conducting operations regularly, and the guilty are being brought to justice.
We are working to protect consumer interests with our limited manpower. However, unless business owners take responsibility, nothing will truly change.”
Health experts also warn that adulterated and unhygienic food significantly increases the risk of cancer, kidney damage, and liver disease in the long term.
Civil Surgeon of Kishoreganj, Dr Ovijeet Sarmah, commented:
“The way our food is being adulterated is truly concerning. It would be better if the relevant organisations, including consumer rights authorities, took more effective initiatives.”
CAB Kishoreganj District President, Alam Sarowar Tito, added:
“People are now prioritising profit over responsibility.
They forget that running a business also involves serving the public. Adulteration or selling substandard food has become a tradition in the food sector.
Campaigns have not been conducted in hotels and restaurants for a long time, which has worsened the situation.
There is also no coordination between government departments. If they worked together, the problem could be solved.”