Editorial
Fruit contamination goes unchecked
Indiscriminate use of industrial chemicals
WE are shocked to learn of the findings of an in-depth study undertaken recently which found that more than 90% of the fruits on sale in the city's markets are contaminated by formalin. What is even more distressing is that in many superstores, that claim to store "formalin-free", fruits for sale were found to be tainted with the harmful substance.
It has been proved that formalin definitely causes cancer and is unfit for human consumption. Despite this, thanks to the lax controls of authorities, infrequent action of mobile courts, residents of Dhaka city are being put at risk everyday when they buy common seasonal fruits like mango, litchis and blackberries. It is alarming to know that the department of environment has on different occasions found the presence of formalin in imported citrus fruits and vegetables.
What is all this tantamount to is that our food chain that consists of perishable items such as fruits and vegetables are now being preserved by industrial grade chemicals. Formalin makes the headlines mostly. Yet, we are also finding the increasing use of other substances like calcium carbide, textile colours to make produce look more appealing and overuse of pesticides and hormones to make products bigger and better looking -- all to the detriment of public health. The pervasive use of such harmful chemicals is due to the fact the produce needs to be preserved to reach their destination. In the absence of sufficient cold storage facilities in the country, such trends are bound to continue.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments