Food adulteration- poses significant risk to our health

Food adulteration in Bangladesh has reached at an alarming stage over the last few years. Basic food items on the market like fish, fruits, oils, vegetables, and sweetmeats are adulterated with hazardous chemicals in an indiscriminate manner. Poisonous residues in food items are leaving worst impacts on people causing cancer, and damaging vital human organs like liver, kidney, and heart along with affecting childrens mental and physical growth.

Experts say, food adulteration has been happening on a massive scale for the past half a decade due to increased investment, expanded market, and high consumer demand. Greed for fast super profit and moral degradation among food traders have led to todays alarming situation.

The number of patients suffering from cancer, diabetes, and kidney diseases is on the rise due to food adulteration. Chemicals used to preserve foodstuffs and the pesticides used in agriculture are making foods poisonous. Though the average age of the people of Bangladesh is increasing, they are getting infected by various deceases. Not only in foodstuffs, the life saving medicines are also being adulterated.

According to the World Health Organization and Food & Agriculture Organization, nearly 45 lakh people in Bangladesh are being infected with various diseases every year. In a recent research of Ministry of Health, food adulteration has been marked as one of the main reasons for the rise of cancer, liver and kidney diseases.

adulterated foods are dangerous for all, the impact of food adulteration falls most on children and aged people. Children are losing their disease resistance power for adulterated foods. They are losing their mental ability along with the damage of kidneys, livers and other organs.

The impact of food adulteration will be grave for the next generation. Adulterated food and the use of chemicals on foodstuffs are destroying our future generation. The children will be less intelligent and will lack good memory. People will frequently have to go to hospital. Their medical expenses will increase day by day which will cast a serious impact on the socio-economic conditions. So the entire nation is in a terrible risk due to food adulteration.

The less promotional activities on long term health impact (cancer, kidney diseases etc.) and related economic impact in mass media is one of the major factors for poor awareness. This study suggests two major initiatives to reduce the severity of the problem: one is developing massive communication and promotional strategies among the community and school level educational and promotional initiatives can be a sustainable solution to disseminate the knowledge and the second is developing and maintaining a transparent supply chain system from farm to market through strict regulations.

The government must be stricter in this regard. Stern action should be taken against the violators of food safety laws. At the same time, we all should be aware against the serious impacts of food adulteration. Otherwise we will get an ill, unhealthy and paralyzed future generation. So, its time for us to stand up and raise our voices against food adulteration.
 
The writer is deputy director (finance and budget), retirement benefit board, ministry of education