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Matia warns food processors over adulteration

Star Business Report
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday warned businesses engaged in food adulteration and said the government would strictly enforce the recently passed Safe Food Law.
She asked dishonest businesses to "change their habits and become clean".
When the safe food law will be executed, the outcry that the government interferes unnecessarily will not be desirable, shesaid.
Matia spoke at discussion on 'Sustainable food systems for food security and nutrition' at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (Bare). The agriculture ministry organised the programme along with a fair, marking World Food Day on October 16.
The minister made the comment after participants at the meeting voiced concerns over food adulteration and asked the government to ensure a sustainable food system that ranges from production to consumption.
Matia said the government creates market linkages to help private businesses flour-
ish, not to allow them to spoil the market by using health hazardous formalin and other chemicals in food.
"We have seen in photos published in newspapers that a well-known firm is soaking mangoes in formalin-mixed water," she said.
Transparency on the source of capital for many new investors is also missing at times, she added.
"We have seen some make the first million as the dirty million. Well, you have made the first million. Now, please go for a clean million and do not adopt malpractices, such as using formalin and chemicals. We have strengthened the food safety law and the Sheikh Hasina government will execute the law stringently."
At the programme, Food Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said adulteration has created panic among people.
"We see the use of formalin and various pollutant agro-chemicals in food causes various diseases. It seems that cancer has become an epidemic here. And all believe that the source of the disease is adulterated food," he said. He said the government is in the process of establishing the Food Safety Authority in light of the Safe Food Act 2013 passed in the parliament early this month.
"We are now finalising the rules in line with the law. The Food Safety Authority will start work soon," he said.
Citing Food and Agriculture Organisation-sponsored studies, Rezaul Karim Talukder, national adviser to the national food policy capacity strengthening project under the food ministry, said chemicals and hormones are used indiscriminately in the production and marketing of vegetables, fruits and fish.
He said food security cannot be ensured
without sustainable food systems as it also implies the provision of safe and nutritious food for all.
Lawmaker Manirul Islam said food production and consumption has increased over the years, and toxicity of chemicals used in foods causes many diseases.
Bare Chairman Wais Kabir said the use of preservatives and additives is rising in line with an increase in food processing and commercialisation of agriculture. He suggested enhancing the analytical and diagnostic capacity of the state.
Raising awareness among people is also necessary to motivate all stakeholders in the food chain, he added.