Single authority to monitor food adulteration demanded
Speakers at a roundtable yesterday demanded a single authority to control food adulteration which causes cancer and damages vital human organs including kidney, liver and heart.
They also demanded trying persons who are involved in adulterating food under Special Power's Act, 1974, which includes a provision for giving death penalty or life term imprisonment for committing such an offence.
Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba)and Dushtha Shashtha Kendra jointly organised the roundtable on "Formulation of a time befitting pure food law and a proper agency is necessary to implement the law" at Jatiya Press Club in the capital.
“There are 15 industries which are working to monitor food adulteration but none are taking their responsibility seriously,†said Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Poba.
When only one authority becomes responsible, it is easier to hold them accountable, he said.
Due to use of formalin in fishes, fruits, meat and milk, people are being affected by different diseases like cancer, asthma and skin diseases, said Engineer Abdus Sobhan, former additional secretary general of Department of Environment , who presented the keynote paper.
He said formalin also affects vital organs like kidney, liver and heart.
Harmful colour agents like auramine and rhodomine b facilitate cancer development in the stomach and prostate gland, he said.
Colour agents like chrome, tartzine and erythrosine which are used in spice, sauce, fruit juice, pulse and oil are also developing diseases like cancer and can cause allergies, he said.
Suggesting that vegetables should not be eaten within 10 days of being sprayed with pesticides, Dr Lelin Chowdhry said fruits and vegetable are sold in the country just after they are sprayed with pesticide.
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