A section of businessmen is engaged in mixing toxic chemicals with food items at the time of production to make a windfall profit without looking into the interest of public health.
Sale of chemical-treated food items continues unabated in the capital and elsewhere in the country and people are getting attacked with various diseases by consuming such toxic foods.
Various deadly diseases silently develop in the human body through consumption of chemical-treated food items, health experts sounded a note of warning while talking to daily sun.
They expressed grave concern about the unethical practice of dishonest businessmen in mixing toxic chemicals with food items, which is posing a serious threat to public health.
Prof. Khurshid Jahan, a renowned nutritionist and food borne disease expert at Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, said consumption of chemical-mixed food slowly poisons a person to death. “This is worse than death,” he said.
Only awarding an offender a few years in jail along with some fine is not enough to prevent treating of food items with toxic chemicals, Prof. Khurshid Jahan added.
“Oleomargarine or lard, a fatty acid, is being mixed with butter and can be easily made industrially. This toxic butter is available in the market. People may get attacked with asthma and face kidney problems,” she added.
Noted pharmacologist and professor of pharmacy department at Dhaka University Dr ABM Faruk expressed deep concern over unbridled use of harmful chemicals in food items.
“Yellow and Sudan Red dyes are very dangerous substances. These dyes are responsible for developing tumour in liver and bladder, which finally may turn into cancer.”
People who usually consume chemical-treated foods face physical discomfort and get older prematurely and develop many side-effects, Dr Faruk pointed out.
Kamal Prashad Das, Director of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), said, “We have increased the capacity of BSTI lab to certify any products to ensure their quality”.
“We will conduct market monitoring by our own team round the year. If any anomalies are found, action will be taken against the offenders,” he added.
