Even as the government is trying to ensure safe food for all, a section of bakery owners in Jhenidah are engaged in producing unhygienic food items, posing a threat to the health of consumers, especially children.
Sources said most of these bakery owners do not have legal authorisation from Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSTI) to run their units. On the other hand, the authorities concerned have taken virtually no steps to curb these illegal and harmful activities, the sources added.
A visit to some bakeries at Natima Bazar in Moheshpur upazila has revealed the unhygienic conditions in these units, with unclean pots and utensils being used to produce food items. Moreover, used oil and dirty flour are used as ingredients to produce patties, cream rolls, butter buns, bread, singara and other items of daily consumption. Also, flies swarmed around the under-processed food items in dirty pans.
Some of the bakeries also allegedly used harmful chemicals usually used in dying yarn in factories.
Labourers at Chandni Bakery were found to be working without shirts and proper shoes. They expressed ignorance on safety norms when asked why the owner did not print the production and expiry dates on the food packets wrapped there.
They revealed that the bakery labourers usually worked during the night to avoid legal hassles by mobile courts and law enforcers. The sanitary inspector visits the bakeries some time and goes back after talking with the owners.
A factory owner admitted of running production throughout the night. He, however, claimed that this was done to ensure early morning supply of fresh items to consumers in rural areas.
Some locals revealed that the bakery owners maintain cleanliness on their premises during drives by mobile courts. But things get back to square one within a few days.
Moheshpur upazila sanitary inspector Moklesur Rahman said they might take steps against the bakeries found to be flouting the government norms on food production.
Veteran child specialist and principal of Magura Medical College, Dr Aloke Kumar Saha, said children and even adults suffer from typhoid, diarrhoea, dysentery and some intestinal diseases due to consumption of adulterated and below standard food items produced in bakeries. “It should be stopped to ensure health and hygiene for all,” he added.
Moheshpur upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Sashwati Sheel said the people engaged in the business of harmful food items would be punished through mobile courts.