Food Minister Afroza Khanam assured Parliament on Tuesday that the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) takes immediate legal and regulatory action whenever food tests reveal public health risks.
Responding to a notice from lawmaker Sunsila Jabrin at the Jatiya Sangsad minister emphasized the government's commitment to public health. "Our primary goal is to quickly identify safety risks, remove unsafe products from the market with enforce legal compliance among businesses and ensure citizens' right to safe food" she stated.
Highlighting recent surveillance efforts, Afroza noted that the BFSA tested 1,210 food samples between February and August this year. To maintain strict oversight, the authority collects 144 samples monthly through its 72 field offices nationwide.
The testing rigorously screens essential daily items for harmful contaminants. Recent checks included bottled water for heavy metals like arsenic and lead, edible oil for trans fats, milk and dairy products for melamine, powdered spices for artificial dyes and lead and bakery items for hazardous chemicals like potassium bromate.
Currently, the BFSA conducts initial field screenings using mini-laboratories at its regional offices and eight mobile van laboratories. Because the authority does not yet have a fully equipped central laboratory building with comprehensive testing is managed through official agreements with 46 approved government and private laboratories.
The minister reaffirmed that regular also risk-based surveillance will continue seamlessly to safeguard consumer health across the country.
