Save our platter from poison
Staff Reporter :
Green activists have called for all food, including Iftar meals, to be entirely free from toxins and contaminants, highlighting the severe issue of toxic and contaminated food in the country that has led to a silent epidemic of widespread health problems.
This demand was voiced during a human chain event in front of Chawkbazar Shahi Jame Mosque in Old Dhaka, organized by Paribesh O Jolbayu Poriborton Andolon (Pariza), an environmental advocacy group, on Friday. The event was chaired by Pariza’s General Secretary, Abdus Sobhan, a former Additional Director General of the Department of Environment, with Amir Hasan, the Joint General Secretary, overseeing the proceedings.
Representatives from nearly ten organizations from various areas, including Old Dhaka, participated in the human chain, expressing their concerns about the safety of food, especially during the Ramadan period. They pointed out that unscrupulous individuals across the supply chain—artisans, producers, farmers, traders, importers, processors, retailers, and hawkers—are adulterating food items with harmful chemicals and toxic substances to increase profits.
These contaminated food items pose significant health risks, leading to potential deadly outcomes and jeopardizing the health of future generations. The activists emphasized that ensuring access to safe, toxin-free, and nutritious food is a fundamental duty of the state, a responsibility that is currently not being adequately met.
The widespread contamination, from production to marketing, is facilitated by the easy availability of harmful chemicals and the lax enforcement of existing laws and regulations. Citing data from the National Food Safety Authority in 2019, they revealed that 52 percent of food samples from across the country were contaminated.
Research from the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) indicates that nearly 200 million people in the country suffer from foodborne diseases annually, with children under five being the most vulnerable. To safeguard public health, the activists urged that all citizens, particularly children and mothers, should avoid consuming contaminated food not only during Ramadan but throughout the year.
They called for enhanced coordination among relevant ministries and organizations to monitor and enforce regulations ensuring toxin-free Iftar meals.
Furthermore, they advocated for the effective implementation of the Formalin Control Act, 2015, and the strict enforcement of the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009, proposing substantial penalties for those found guilty of violating these regulations.