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The food safety dilemma

The importance of finding the right method to ensure food safety in Bangladesh

SHYKH SERAJ
Apart from food security, 'food safety' is equally predictable. It has become a great concern to all around the globe, including Bangladesh. In the age of globalization, producing and exporting crops to the international market along with importing fruits and other agricultural products is definitely a key factor.
Recently the country has seen mobile courts busying themselves with the drives to detect formalin in produce. The courts destroy the foodstuff, but the devices they use leave them in a state of serious confusion. My family along with everyone across the country are in a state of panic, as health is surely a great concern and nobody wants to fall sick because of eating harmful food products. So, what is the story within?
The imported fruits, especially apples that come from Brazil have high levels of preservatives in them. The importers say the fruits are monitored at a field level and get certified twice, first in the country of origin and then at Chittagong port. "What many people do not know is that it takes fruits from Brazil 40 days to reach our country and 55 if imported from Chile" says an importer from Badamtoli bazaar in Dhaka. The packaged fruits are sent in a refrigerated container (0-5 degrees Celsius) and are laden with preservatives to ensure they survive the long journey.
After the products are released from Chittagong port, they are then fit to be sent across the country. This is done using trucks and motor vans, which lack temperature control. And now, the question pops up:
How can these fruits survive the heat and still remain edible when they reach the market? This is where the concerned authorities should be probing to find faults.
In addition, Bangladeshi farmers (as we all know) maintain international rules and regulations when exporting vegetables to Europe and some countries in the Middle East. These exporters are assisted by our government to ensure that the farmers follow organic methods and grow their produce in an internation
ally accredited pesticide free environment.
What most people are not aware of are the complaints and questions of retailers and farmers against the Formaldehyde Meter Z-300 machine, which has been used for the past two years to detect formalin in fish, fruits and vegetables.
Food scientists say this
machine/kit is meant to measure chemicals or gases in the air of laboratories, not in food items. Therefore, skilled personnel, up to date with technological advances are crucial at the moment of detection or else it will be an injustice to ruin famers' produce and deny them profits, in the name of formalin.
The holy month of Ramadan will start in just a few days and we know consumers like muri (puffed rice), cucumbers and eggplants for Iftar. I urge consumers not to buy the white puffed rice as it's injected with urea, but will they buy the red ones instead?.
My suggestion to the mobile courts is to use the 1PM (Integrated Pest Management) properly in the field first and then move to the market, it would be best. It will definitely help the farmers more. And will also result in the mobile courts finding out who is insisting and forcing farmers to use pesticides and formalin.
I have spoken with formers about these issues as we're trying to promote an environment friendly cultivation system using biopesticides like bracon, tricograma, sex pheromones, vermicomposting under the initiative of 'Grow Green'.
Another serious concern are the outbreaks of foodborne diseases, which have been documented and in many countries where the rate of illness increase significantly. Food safety is a public health priority and millions of people fall ill every year and many die as a result of eating unsafe food. We need a strong food safety system to ensure a safe global food-chain.
Last but not the least, the government has to work more intensely to minimize health risks from form to table; consumers should be more aware and finally, the monitoring should start from the point of orign and extend to the core of the crisis, not where it ended so that farmers and traders