Vitamin-fortified safe edible oil essential to protect public health
Staff Reporter :
Experts have stressed the urgent need to ensure the availability of vitamin-A and D-fortified, safe edible oil to protect public health and nurture a healthier, more productive generation.
They identified the widespread marketing of loose edible oil in drums, the lack of opaque packaging, and the absence of vitamin D fortification as major obstacles.
These concerns were raised at a journalists’ workshop titled “Vitamin-Fortified Safe Edible Oil for All: Progress, Challenges, and Way Forward” held on Tuesday at the BMA Bhaban in the capital The event was organised by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, with participation from 23 journalists representing print, television, and online media.
Speakers at the workshop warned that selling edible oil in open drums violates government regulations and endangers public health.
Citing the National Micronutrient Survey (2011-12), they said one in five children in Bangladesh suffers from vitamin A deficiency, while two in five lack sufficient vitamin D.
Despite the Vitamin ‘A’ Enrichment in Edible Oils Act, 2013, most oils on the market contain little or no vitamins.
A study by ICDDR,B found that 65 per cent of edible oil is sold in drums, of which 59 per cent lack any vitamin A, and only 7 per cent meet the legal standard for vitamin content.
Speakers noted that these non-food grade drums are often recycled containers that previously held chemicals, engine oil, or industrial products, posing health threats.
These drums provide no information about the oil’s origin or quality, allowing adulterated or substandard oil to enter the market.
According to the Ministry of Industries’ directives, the open sale of soybean oil was to be banned from July 2022 and palm oil from December 2022, yet such sales continue.
Experts therefore called for stronger, coordinated monitoring by the Ministry of Industries, BSTI, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, and the Food Safety Authority to ensure safe, vitamin-fortified oil reaches consumers.
They also highlighted that vitamin A deficiency increases the risk of childhood blindness and maternal mortality, while vitamin D deficiency contributes to rickets, bone loss, cardiovascular disease, and other non-communicable illnesses.
Fortifying edible oil with vitamins A and D, they said, is a cost-effective and practical solution to help people get essential nutrients through daily meals.
The workshop further emphasised the need for light-resistant, opaque packaging to prevent sunlight from degrading vitamin A and diminishing oil quality.
In her presentation, Dr Aliva Haque, Programme Officer at PROGGA, shared that the average vitamin D deficiency in Bangladesh stands at 67 per cent.
The highest rate is among adolescents at 83.3 per cent, followed by 77.8 per cent among pregnant mothers and 71.1 per cent among urban residents. The average deficiency among women is 74.8 per cent compared with 52 per cent among men.
The session was attended by Fakir Muhammad Munawar Hossain, former director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection; Mustak Hassan Md Iftekhar, consultant at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute; Dr Ashek Mahfuz of GAIN; Doulot Akter Mala, president of the Economic Reporters Forum; and ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA.
Fakir Muhammad Munawar Hossain said, “When people will understand the importance of safe fortified oil, nobody will dare to sell loose and unsafe oil in the market.”
“Primarily it seems that the vitamin fortification increase oil price, but it saves health cost to a large extent,” he added.
Speakers concluded that ensuring the supply of safe, vitamin-fortified, and properly packaged edible oil is vital to protect public health and the wellbeing of future generations.
