Strict enforcement of laws essential to prevent food adulteration
Unplanned urbanisation, water pollution, air pollution and noise pollution are severely affecting public health.
However, food adulteration has now emerged as an even more alarming threat. People are being deceived into buying adulterated food and are suffering from complex diseases as a result. Food adulteration has reached such an extent that it has become difficult for any conscious person to consume food with peace of mind. Foods mixed with toxic chemicals are making people more vulnerable to diseases instead of providing nutrition.
At present, adulteration in food products has become the number one threat to public health. Reports of toxic chemicals being mixed into food items and agricultural products have caused widespread concern among consumers across the country.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 600 million people worldwide fall ill every year due to contaminated and adulterated food, while around 442,000 people die from foodborne diseases. Among children under the age of five, about 125,000 die annually from illnesses caused by unsafe food. A research report by Poribesh Banchao Andolon (POBA) stated that nearly 200,000 people in Bangladesh suffer from kidney diseases every year due to consumption of adulterated food alone.
A survey found that around 97 percent of the country’s population remains at risk of heart disease. Currently, nearly 20 million people are suffering from kidney-related diseases, while over two million are battling cancer. Besides these three major illnesses, millions are suffering from various other health complications. Environmental pollution and food adulteration are considered major causes behind these health crises.
The damage caused by adulterated food puts enormous pressure on the healthcare system, while countless families become financially ruined due to treatment expenses. The use of harmful chemicals and even burnt engine oil in hotels and restaurants has reportedly increased. Without proper measures against such dangerous food practices, public health risks may worsen further. Although anti-adulteration drives occasionally appear in the media, they remain insufficient compared to the scale of the problem.
As food safety is directly linked to public health, preventing food adulteration is one of the state’s most important responsibilities. Although the Special Powers Act of 1974 provides for the death penalty for food adulteration, organised groups involved in such crimes have continued operating with impunity for years. Authorities have shown little visible initiative in this regard. Existing laws are failing to curb food adulteration, fraud and environmental pollution due to weak enforcement.
An analysis of the Safe Food Act-2013 shows that Section 75 allows mobile courts under the Mobile Court Act-2009 to deal with offences under the law in emergency situations. However, these mobile courts are temporary in nature and have limited jurisdiction. They are empowered to impose administrative fines of up to Tk 300,000 under Section 78 but cannot hand down imprisonment. If offenders fail to pay the fine, the amount is treated as a recoverable government demand under the Public Demands Recovery Act-1913. In practice, the Safe Food Authority appears more focused on collecting fines than filing cases in food courts, which has emboldened adulterators and suppliers.
The Safe Food Act-2013 defines “safe food” as food that is pure and suitable for human consumption according to its intended use. Under Section 64, “Pure Food Courts” were established to handle food-related offences, with a first-class magistrate or metropolitan magistrate serving as judge under Section 65. These courts are meant to function as the primary judicial bodies for food-related crimes.
According to Section 66(2), the chairman of the Safe Food Authority or any authorised official or inspector may file cases in Pure Food Courts after conducting investigations into complaints. Moreover, Section 66(3) allows ordinary citizens to directly file complaints within 30 days of an offence. The law also provides for summary trials. Under this act, courts may impose imprisonment ranging from six months to five years and fines from Tk 100,000 to Tk 1 million. Repeat offences may result in fines of up to Tk 2 million. Section 62 also entitles complainants to receive 25 percent of the collected fine as compensation.
Most anti-adulteration laws in the country have effectively become inactive. The illegal use of formalin and carbide in food products continues to increase health risks. Although the government has taken some steps to curb the use of such harmful chemicals, implementation remains weak. Existing laws are inadequate, while coordination among government agencies responsible for preventing adulteration is poor. As a result, market monitoring systems have weakened significantly.
Punishments for producing adulterated food are also insufficient. Market monitoring at the field level remains ineffective due to negligence and lack of capacity among relevant agencies. Consequently, expected progress in controlling adulteration has not been achieved.
Experts say public awareness is crucial to avoiding health risks. At the same time, market surveillance must be strengthened and pressure on traders maintained to prevent the use of toxic substances such as formalin and carbide in food. Existing laws should be made stricter, properly enforced, and exemplary punishment ensured for offenders.
Bangladesh currently ranks fourth among the world’s top five countries facing severe food insecurity, according to the “Global Report on Food Crises 2025” published jointly by five United Nations agencies — FAO, IFAD, WFP, WHO and UNICEF.
A separate report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) titled “Global Report on Food Crises” stated that Bangladesh ranks fourth among the 10 countries facing acute food crises globally.
The reports also revealed that Bangladesh continues to lag behind in ensuring healthy and balanced diets. Although there has been notable progress over the past seven years, around 77.1 million people in the country still cannot afford healthy food. More than 10 percent of the population remains malnourished.
Currently, over 44 percent of Bangladesh’s population lacks access to healthy food, compared to 65.7 percent in 2017. Among South Asian countries, Bangladesh ranks second in terms of people deprived of balanced diets, after Pakistan, where 60 percent of the population cannot access healthy food. In India, around 40 percent remain deprived of quality food, while the Maldives performs best in the region with only 1 percent lacking balanced nutrition. The figures stand at 4 percent in Bhutan and 20 percent in Nepal.
Among children under five years of age, 10 percent in Bangladesh are underweight due to malnutrition. The rate is 18 percent in India and 7 percent in Pakistan. At least 25 percent of Bangladeshi children suffer from stunting, compared to 33 percent in India and nearly 37 percent in Pakistan.
A qualitative transformation in food safety management is now essential. Farmers must be encouraged to adopt modern and healthy farming methods. Greater coordination among institutions is also necessary. Education and training on safe food should be expanded to increase public awareness and create demand for safe food products.
The excessive use of chemicals in agriculture is causing pesticides to enter the human body through vegetables, fruits and other foods, posing serious health risks. Farmers must be made more aware of these dangers.
Bangladesh also needs a strong regulatory body similar to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to monitor and control food quality. At present, responsibilities are spread across several ministries, creating coordination gaps. In this regard, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority can be strengthened further, while BSTI should enhance its research and monitoring activities.
Food contamination cannot be prevented without public awareness. Those involved in food adulteration must be brought under strict legal action. Merely enacting laws is not enough — effective enforcement of laws is now essential.
Writer: Market Analyst and Financial Management Consultant; Managing Director, Gold Bell Corporation.
