Sale of substandard food items rampant

It is surprising that a section of unscrupulous traders are gaining financially cashing in on the helplessness of the consumers

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) on Tuesday filed a case against the owners of seven bakeries in Chittagong for not renewing certificates and for selling and distributing food items without assess standards. An agency report on this appeared in this newspaper on Wednesday. We welcome the drive against such malpractice. Sale of low quality and substandard food is a chronic practice in this country. The consumers are virtually hostage in the hands of the profit-mongering dishonest traders. It is surprising that a section of unscrupulous traders are gaining financially cashing in on the helplessness of the consumers. This is outright cheating. This is happening under the nose of the members of the law enforcement agencies. When sale of sub-standard food items is rampant in the metropolitan cities like Chittagong and Dhaka, what is happening in other areas of the country can easily be imagined. 
  Apparently, spurious food items look good; people buy those for daily consumption not knowing what a danger they are inviting for themselves. Is there any food item that can be taken safely? The adulterated food items include milk, sweetmeat, edible oils, spices, butter, ghee, dry fish, confectionary items like biscuits, cakes, pastries, candies, crackers etc. Dishonest traders endanger food items by using calcium carbide, toxic textile dyes, urea, melamine, DDT and burnt engine oil. According to doctors, consumption of adulterated food items may cause diarrhea, kidney failure, stomach cancer, liver cancer, asthma, nervous disorder, sore throat, bronchitis, skin infection, allergic reaction and many other diseases. The medical treatment of a member of a family takes its toll on the whole family. How many families have the ability to bear the health care expenses ? 
Drives against sale of sub-standard food items and adulteration of food are conducted once in a blue moon. A few persons responsible for the crime are arrested or fined. After that things revert to the previous condition. The dishonest businessmen, taking advantage of the lax vigilance of the relevant authorities, start their dubious business with renewed zeal again. They do not care a fig for the heinous crime they are committing by selling poisonous food items. 
In many countries of the world consumers rights are strictly implemented and followed. Hence, there is hardly any chance for the consumers to be cheated. Unfortunately, in our country its presence is not felt. It is high time for the government to intensify monitoring system against food adulteration and punish those responsible for the crime. Creation of mass awareness can also help bring down food adulteration to a tolerable limit.         

 

Sale of substandard food items rampant

It is surprising that a section of unscrupulous traders are gaining financially cashing in on the helplessness of the consumers

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) on Tuesday filed a case against the owners of seven bakeries in Chittagong for not renewing certificates and for selling and distributing food items without assess standards. An agency report on this appeared in this newspaper on Wednesday. We welcome the drive against such malpractice. Sale of low quality and substandard food is a chronic practice in this country. The consumers are virtually hostage in the hands of the profit-mongering dishonest traders. It is surprising that a section of unscrupulous traders are gaining financially cashing in on the helplessness of the consumers. This is outright cheating. This is happening under the nose of the members of the law enforcement agencies. When sale of sub-standard food items is rampant in the metropolitan cities like Chittagong and Dhaka, what is happening in other areas of the country can easily be imagined. Apparently, spurious food items look good; people buy those for daily consumption not knowing what a danger they are inviting for themselves. Is there any food item that can be taken safely? The adulterated food items include milk, sweetmeat, edible oils, spices, butter, ghee, dry fish, confectionary items like biscuits, cakes, pastries, candies, crackers etc. Dishonest traders endanger food items by using calcium carbide, toxic textile dyes, urea, melamine, DDT and burnt engine oil. According to doctors, consumption of adulterated food items may cause diarrhea, kidney failure, stomach cancer, liver cancer, asthma, nervous disorder, sore throat, bronchitis, skin infection, allergic reaction and many other diseases. The medical treatment of a member of a family takes its toll on the whole family. How many families have the ability to bear the health care expenses ? Drives against sale of sub-standard food items and adulteration of food are conducted once in a blue moon. A few persons responsible for the crime are arrested or fined. After that things revert to the previous condition. The dishonest businessmen, taking advantage of the lax vigilance of the relevant authorities, start their dubious business with renewed zeal again. They do not care a fig for the heinous crime they are committing by selling poisonous food items. In many countries of the world consumers rights are strictly implemented and followed. Hence, there is hardly any chance for the consumers to be cheated. Unfortunately, in our country its presence is not felt. It is high time for the government to intensify monitoring system against food adulteration and punish those responsible for the crime. Creation of mass awareness can also help bring down food adulteration to a tolerable limit.