Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has fined 19 food establishments a total of Tk 27.9 lakh and filed 20 cases in a week as part of nationwide drives to enforce the Food Safety Act, 2013 and ensure safe food for consumers.
The enforcement operations, mobile courts, summary trials, monitoring activities and public awareness campaigns were carried out from September 6 to 12 in Dhaka and different districts, according to the BFSA.
The authority said the activities are part of its continuing efforts to protect public health by strengthening enforcement of food safety laws and ensuring compliance at different stages of food production, processing, storage, preparation and marketing.
In Dhaka Metropolitan area, BFSA teams conducted enforcement drives at seven establishments during the week.
Three establishments were fined a total of Tk 3 lakh, while three cases were filed for various violations of the Food Safety Act.
The violations included operating establishments without mandatory registration, preparing food in unhygienic conditions, storing unlabeled fish, meat and other food items in refrigerators, and failing to produce trade licences, health certificates of food workers and proof of pest-control measures.
The authority also conducted mobile court operations in different districts.
During the week, mobile courts were conducted at 14 establishments in Lakshmipur, Bogura, Sirajganj, Gazipur, Faridpur, Kishoreganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Sylhet, Barishal, Rangpur and Nilphamari.
The courts collected Tk 20.9 lakh in fines and filed 15 cases against the establishments for various violations of the Food Safety Act, according to the BFSA.
Among the violations detected were making chanachur by trampling it underfoot, using burnt cooking oil and unauthorised chemical colours, and allowing cockroaches and bedbugs to move around food production facilities.
Officials also found the use of unauthorised ghee and kewra water in biryani preparation.
Other violations included selling food products without proper labels and producing food in dirty and unhygienic environments.
Summary trials in Pabna and Sylhet
Separate summary trials were also conducted in Pabna and Sylhet on September 12 under the Food Safety Act, 2013.
In Pabna, a summary trial was conducted under the leadership of a senior judicial magistrate in the presence of a food safety officer.
The authorities found various irregularities in food preparation, storage and management at two establishments.
The two establishments were fined a total of Tk 4 lakh for the violations.
In Sylhet, BFSA officials inspected two establishments located at the BSCIC Industrial Estate in Khadimnagar.
No visible violation was found at one of the establishments during the inspection.
However, the inspection team found that the other establishment needed to improve its food storage and pest-control systems.
The establishment was instructed to take corrective measures within seven days and submit a report to the authorities.
196 establishments monitored
Besides taking legal action, the BFSA has intensified monitoring of food establishments across the country.
During the week, officials monitored a total of 196 food establishments, including markets, hotels and restaurants, bakeries, sweet shops, and food production and processing facilities.
The monitoring activities focused on compliance with food safety requirements in food production, storage, preparation, processing, serving and marketing.
The authority said necessary instructions were given to the establishments based on the findings of the monitoring activities, while legal measures were taken where necessary.
Awareness activities stepped up
The BFSA has also continued its public awareness programmes alongside enforcement and monitoring activities.
The authority said the campaigns are aimed at raising public awareness about safe food consumption, hygienic food production and marketing practices, and the responsibilities of consumers in ensuring food safety.
During the week, food safety-related television commercials were broadcast on Bangladesh Television. Scrolling messages on food safety were also aired.
Bangladesh Betar broadcast various audio messages on food safety as part of the awareness campaign.
The BFSA also continued to disseminate food safety messages through photographs, reels and videos on social media platforms.
‘Food safety is a government priority’
BFSA Chairman Md Shafiqul Islam said ensuring food safety is one of the government’s priorities.
“To achieve this goal, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority is working in an integrated manner through law enforcement, regular monitoring, mobile courts, research, public awareness campaigns and engagement with stakeholders,” he said.
He said ensuring safe food requires coordinated efforts from all stakeholders involved in the food chain.
“The collective initiative of the government, businesses, producers, consumers and all concerned stakeholders is extremely important to ensure food safety,” he said.
The chairman said the authority would continue its activities in the public interest on a larger and more effective scale in the future.
The BFSA’s latest drives are part of its ongoing nationwide efforts to strengthen implementation of the Food Safety Act, 2013, improve compliance among food businesses and promote safer food practices among producers, sellers and consumers.
