Obstacles to getting of vitamin-enriched edible oil must be removed
Staff Reporter :
To build a healthy, disease-free generation in the country, it is essential to ensure the availability of vitamin-fortified safe edible oil. However, the marketing of loose edible oil in drums poses a major obstacle. At the same time, fortifying edible oil with vitamin D and ensuring quality packaging are extremely important. Experts opined these at a journalists’ workshop titled “Vitamin Fortified Safe Edible Oil for All: Progress, Challenges and Way Forward” that took place at BIP Conference Room of the Capital on Monday. The workshop was jointly organized by the research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh. Twenty-six (26) journalists from print, television, and online media houses participated in the workshop.
It was informed at the workshop that according to the National Micronutrient Survey 2011-12, every one out of five preschool-aged children suffers from Vitamin ‘A’ deficiency while every two out of five children suffer from Vitamin ‘D’ deficiency. Marketing edible oil without Vitamin ‘A’ fortification is a punishable offense according to the Vitamin ‘A’ Enrichment in Edible Oils Act, 2013. According to a study conducted by icddr,b, about 65% of the total edible oil in the market is sold in drums. Of which, 59% of the oil contains no vitamin A, while 34% contains less than the required amount. Only 7% of the bulk oil sold in drums meets the standard as per the law. As a result, the general public is being deprived of the benefits of the law.
Speakers said at the workshop that edible oil is distributed in drums made of non-food-grade materials, which were previously used to store chemicals, lubricants/mobil oils, or other industrial products. Storing loose edible oil in such drums poses serious health risks and increases the chances of adulteration. Moreover, since these old drums have no labels or required information about the source, it becomes impossible to trace the origin or supplier of the oil. Therefore, the marketing of loose edible oil in drums has become a major obstacle to the enforcement of the law.
It was reported at the workshop that despite directives from the Ministry of Industries to stop the marketing of bulk soybean oil in drums by July 2022 and bulk palm oil by December 2022, these directives have yet to be effectively implemented.
Therefore, to ensure consumer access to safe edible oil, a coordinated effort is needed among the Ministry of Industries, BSTI, the Directorate of National Consumers’ Rights Protection, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), and all other relevant agencies.
Vitamin ‘A’ deficiency causes physiological issues that include blindness, maternal death during pregnancy, etc. On the other hand, Vitamin ‘D’ deficiency causes rickets, leads to a loss of bone density and increases the chances of developing heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In this context, fortifying edible oil with vitamins A and D can be considered a cost-effective and efficient measure. Through this, the mass people can easily obtain these two essential vitamins in their daily diet.
Additionally, the workshop emphasized the importance of ensuring quality packaging for edible oil. Typically, exposure to sunlight or any light causes vitamin A to degrade and eventually disappear. Since most of the bottles used for marketing edible oil are not light-resistant, the quality and nutritional value of the oil diminish over time. Therefore, it was recommended that light-resistant, opaque materials be used for the packaging of edible oil.
Fakir Muhammad Munawar Hossain, Director (Operation & Laboratory), Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection; Mustak Hassan Md. Iftekhar (former Additional Secretary), Consultant, National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute; Abu Ahmed Shamim, Associate Scientist, James P Grant School of Public Health; Sajjadur Rahman, Deputy Editor, The Business Standard and ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA were present at the event as discussants. The key presentations were delivered by 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.