Introduction

Food adulteration has become so rampant in the country that we

always feel scared while eating anything. Contamination and
adulteration of food products has become a major threat for public
health in Bangladesh. This also poses serious danger to the physical
and mental growth of the children -- even when a child is in the
womb of its mother. There should not be any doubt that access to
healthy food is a fundamental right of every citizen. But adulteration
or contamination of food with toxic and biochemical substances has
gone to such an extent that pure and safe food is scarcely available
in the market. Irrespective of their knowledge, people are compelled
to buy these hazardous foods to eat and feed their children.

Definition:
As per the section 3(5) of the Pure Food Ordinance, 1959(amended
in 2005)[2] Food means any kind of edible oil, fish, fruit, meat
or vegetable or any other article used as food, drinking water or any
other drink for human consumption other than any drug, and
includes ice, aerated water, carbonated water or any substance
whether processed, semi processed or raw or any substance which
has been used in the manufacture, preparation or treatment of food
and those articles which will be notified by the Government from
time to time, and
(a) any substance which is intended for use in the composition or
preparation of food,
(b) any permitted flavouring matter or any spice or condiment, and
(c) any food grade colouring matter, preservative, anti oxidant and
other additives intended for use in food;
and as per section 3(1) an article of food shall be deemed to be
adulterated if-

(a) any substance has been mixed and packed with it so as to

reduce or lower or injuriously affect its quality or strength, or

(b) any substance has been substituted wholly or in part for it, or

(c) any of the normal constituents has been wholly or in part

abstracted so as to render it injurious to health, or

(d) it is mixed, coloured, powdered, coated or stained in a manner

whereby damage or inferiority is concealed, or

(e) it does not comply with any standard provided by or under this
Ordinance or any other law for the time being in force, or

(f) it contains or is mixed or diluted with any substance in such

quantity as is to the prejudice of the purchaser or consumer or in
such proportion as diminishes in any manner the food value or
nutritive qualities which it possesses in its pure, normal,
undeteriorated and sound condition, or

(g) it contains any poisonous or deleterious ingredient 3[ including

radiation] which may render it injurious to health, or

(h) it is not of the nature, substance or quality which it purports to

be or which it is represented to be by the manufacturer or the seller;
So, food adulteration means mixing of toxic, unhealthy, dangerous
to health substances with the food for making profit.

Accountable for uncontrolled food

adulteration in Bangladesh
Food adulteration is an unethical act of action by businessman for
making profit. It can be occurred at any stage and at any time of
supply chain of food, from producer to consumer and from farm to
fork. Farmer/producer, wholesaler, retailer, agent , broker may
responsible for food adulteration in a way of adding adulterant,
removing , reducing and substituting any element there to or false
representation of any item as food with intention of extra profit. Say
for example, mango fruits are collected from various gardens of
Rajshahi districts., before transport the dealers may spray calcium

carbide or formalin, again wholesaler or retailer can also tainted

calcium carbide or formalin into the fruits.
Food adulteration also may happen by the ill will of any person of
supply chain at the primary production stage, post-harvest food
handling, preservation, processing, packaging, transport, storage
and distribution, semi-processed, processed, ready to eat (RTE),
hotel, restaurant, street foods etc.
Sometimes consumer are also responsible for food adulteration as
they are choosing to buy those food items which has good outside
looking, deem to fresh. Say for example consumer are expressing
their interest to buy white puffed rice rather than natural color ,
thats why producers are forced to use fertilizer with puffed rice.
Another important cause is the traffic jam of national highway
forced some dealers to apply preservative, DDT, formalin etc to
increase the life shell of that food.
Government monitoring policies have many limitations. BSTI has
manpower shortage; it has to work with the cooperation of district
administration, police, it consumes time and sometimes it causes
many complex situations. Major monitoring actions by BSTI has
been taken at retailer stage, they have limited monitoring actions at
farmer, dealers, wholesaler stage. BSTI monitoring is very much
limited to city areas.

The main ethical issues of massive food

Bangladesh

adulteration in

Food adulteration has reached to a dangerous level causing a

serious health hazards in the country. The problem is now alarming
and people are suffering from food phobia. Basic food items like rice,
fish, fruits, vegetables spices, milk and milk products, sweetmeats
etc all are adulterated. Bangladesh is the most densely populated
country in the world. Its around 18 crore people is trying to meet
their daily needs by limited resources. Broker, middleman between
farmer and consumer all are trying to become rich in a very short
time. A well saying tells is that a farmer cultivated pineapple by
dividing the land into two pieces, one is for his family members and
another portion cultivated for business purposes. In his business
side land he uses DDT, carbide and other adulterant but in the other
side of land he didnt use any thing harmful to human. We are only
thinking of our owns , very much unaware about the rights of others.
Most business man in Bangladesh is very much unaware of ethical
issues. They think business is only for profit, thats why they mixing
infested and damaged grains, husks, sand and beads to increase the
weight without the fear of God or law or any thing.

The corruption interfaces of uncontrolled food

adulteration in Bangladesh
In third world country like Bangladesh corruption is the main
problem in every sector. In every society the ill minded people are
always present, only proper law and order situation can prohibit
them to act. The corruption starts at the stage of importing the
formalin, carbide substances, some officials are helping to import
these substances though there have regulations whom may import,
but formalin in different name imported by nexus of some officials.
Authority who is responsible for monitoring the farmers are
sometimes close their eyes by taking bribes. At the time of carriage
of food police, local political leaders, local goons, collecting illegal
token money from each truck, to make up this this extra amount of
money traders add Infested and damaged grains, husks, sand and
beads are added to increase the weight. But all of the above
circumstances its true that the capacity of BSTI, other
administration is so limited compare the scale of food adulteration,
its very difficult to monitor every steps of the process. Government
has to ensure transparency and accountability in inspection
procedure, and awarding exemplary punishment to those culprits.
Unfortunately still government failure to set an example like China ,
India though adulterate food can be found in every shop due to
corruption.

Conclusion:
It is the sate responsibility to ensure food free from adulteration for
the common people as of our constitutional rights. In recent days
Mobile court derives reduces food adulteration, and set an example
in 2015 formalin and carbide free seasonal fruits in the market. In
Bangladesh potentiality is not the problem, problem lis in the
leadership, media plays an important role to create awareness
among the people about food adulteration. If common people raised
their voices and showing awareness when they buying food, food
adulteration problem could be minimized. Let us live and let others
live on food free from adulteration of any kind. As Virginia wolf,
famous English writer said while describing food as medicineone can not think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dines
well

References ,
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http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/print_sections_all.php?id=297

2. Ali, A N M A 2013, Food safety and public health issues in

Bangladesh: a regulatory European Food and Feed Law
Review , vol 8 (1), pp. 31-40.
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Food Adulteration: A serious Public Health Concern in
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