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DMP now to take formalin test to kitchen markets

Staff Correspondent
Dhaka Metropolitan Police is going to set up formalin-testing booths at 236 kitchen markets in the capital to detect the presence of the harmful chemical in food items.
The move will be implemented at a time when the DMP's recent drives against formalin tainted fruits entering the city have both earned praise from people and flak from traders, who argue that the kits used to determine formalin were not fit enough.
Earlier, the experts termed formalin detection kits inappropriate and demanded that the drive be stopped immediately. They said different other harmful chemicals and pesticides were also being used in food items and fruits, but the DMP's move is only to detect formalin.
Instead of stopping the use of formalin at different stages of production, supply and marketing, the law enforcers are only going to detect it at the markets in the capital, experts added.
"The setting up of the booths will begin in 7 to 10 days and will extend to 236 markets in phases in the capital so that customers and retailers can test their food items at nominal costs," said DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed at a discussion at Jatiya Press Club in the capital yesterday.
The Saarc Cultural Society organised the discussion on food safety with its president Syed Abu Hossain Babla in the chair.
Terming the recent drive a success, the DMP commissioner said some of the major media houses stood against it but thepeopledid notaccept their stand.
"Yes, they (media houses) do social and other good works. They think that they will only do the good jobs and criticize the government. The government also does good jobs, but they cannot accept it," he said.
Apart from law enforcers, universitylevel students will also be engaged in this work, so that they can earn alongside their studies, the commissioner added.
Another police official said four students of private and public universities will be engaged in each booth for the tests and a portion of the earnings
from the tests will be distributed among them.
They will carry out solution tests as they are low cost and will not use Formaldehyde Meter Z-300 since tests using these kits will cost more, said the official seeking anonymity.
Benazir insisted the government form a unified single authority to make the anti-adulteration drive a success.
Around 600 tones of formalin are being imported against the demand of only 50 tones for industrial and medical purposes. People are taking in the additional amount of formalin by consuming food laced with formalin by some unscrupulous businessmen, the DMP chief said.
"We have already identified at least 38 organisations who import formalin. We are keeping vigil on the use of these imported formalin," he said.
Earlier, with the move of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), traders of the city's 11 kitchen markets declared them formalin-free at different times since September 2012.
But the move basically went in vain as the traders were selling adulterated food due to lax monitoring by the market committee and other authorities concerned, sources said.