Ensuring vitamin fortified edible oil a must for public health: Experts
Staff Reporter :
Ensuring availability of vitamin-fortified safe edible oil for all is a must to protect public health, experts said at a journalists’ workshop in the capital on Monday.
As per a survey, the experts said, every one out of five pre-school aged children suffers from Vitamin ‘A’ deficiency and every two out of five children suffer Vitamin ‘D’ deficiency.
The experts quoted findings of the National Micronutrient Survey 2011-12 after which the government passed Vitamin Fortification in Edible Oil Act in 2013 banning sale of edible oil without fortifying Vitamin-‘A’.
However, the sale of loose edible oil from drums at local markets is still remaining as an impediment to the proper implementation of the law.
Doctors and public health experts shared these views at the two-day workshop for journalists titled “Safe Vitamin Fortified Edible Oil for All: Progress, Challenges, and Way Forward”, held at the BMA Bhaban in Dhaka on 22-23 October 2023.
The workshop was jointly organised by the research and advocacy organisation PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh.
27 journalists participated in the workshop.
It was informed at the workshop that selling loose edible oil is also legally prohibited.
According to research conducted by ICDDR, B in 2017, 65pc of the total edible oil sold in Bangladesh is marketed in drums, of which, 59pc does not contain any degree of vitamin-A fortification and 34pc is poorly fortified. Only 7pc of the bulk oil sold in drums meets the standard as per the law.
Experts said that bulk edible oil is distributed using drums that are manufactured as non-food-graded containers for containing chemicals, lubricant/mobil which are harmful for public health.
Simultaneously, necessary steps must be taken for Vitamin ‘D fortification of edible oil to tackle the outbreak of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the country.
Vitamin ‘A’ deficiency causes physiological issues like blindness, maternal death during pregnancy and such others.
While Vitamin D deficiency causes Rickets as well as increases the chances of developing heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), they said.
Manzur Morshed Ahmed, Member (Public Health and Nutrition), Bangladesh Food Safety Authority; Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of Epidemiology & Research Department, National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute; Ashek Mahfuz, Portfolio Lead for Large Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) and Value Chain, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN); Mizan Chowdhury, Deputy Chief Reporter, Daily Jugantor and ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA were present at the event as discussants.
Besides, Abu Ahmed Shamim, Associate Scientist, James P Grant School of Public Health; Mustak Hassan Md. Iftekhar (former Additional Secretary), Consultant, Dr. Rina Rani Paul, Program Manager, Large Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) Country Advocacy Bangladesh, National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute and Md Hasan Shahriar, Head of Programs, PROGGA also spoke in the event.
The speakers said, the Ministry of Industries issued an executive order to phase out bulk soybean oil sold in drums by July 2022 and bulk palm oil sold in drums by December 2022.
However, this order is yet to be effectively implemented. The sale of bulk edible oil in drums must be phased out according to the government order.
To ensure that consumers can access safe edible oil, the Food Safety Act, the BSTI Ordinance, the Consumers’ Right Protection Act, the Packaged Food Labeling Act, etc. should be effectively implemented.
