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Exclusive Interview

Locally produced adulterated food items pose serious health hazards 

BAFISA President tells

Published : Tuesday, 7 January, 2025 at 12:00 AM  Count : 519
Jibon Islam
Local food market is facing huge irregularities. Dishonest traders are selling renowned world class brands at half price that are adulterated and locally produced. Producers are so perfect in producing these counterfeit products as buyer fail to detect these food products.

People are dying from serious diseases like cancer and kidney disease by eating such adulterated foods. The Department of Consumer Rights investigate adulterated products in the market but almost routinely release the wrong doers on a maximum of fine of Tk 2,00,000.

Md Borhan E Sultan, President of Bangladesh Foodstuffs Importers & Suppliers Association (BAFISA), said this while talking to The Daily Observer on Tuesday.

He said by producing and selling counterfeit products, they earn more than Tk 1000,0000 crore per month; If adulterers are fined Tk 200,000 and released, they will be rather encouraged to continue marketing fake products.

He said they can be stopped only if these counterfeiters are given a hefty fine and jailed for a long period. If necessary, the law should be amended and both penalties should be provided to counterfeiters rigorously.

On the other hand, he said if people suffering from cancer and kidney disease after eating adulterated foods file cases against adulterers, the government cooperation is especially needed to support the victims. Without government cooperation, it is not possible to identify powerful counterfeiters and bring them to book, he said.

The government must take strict action against adulterers to save the nation from production and marketing of adulterated food causing premature death.

Borhan E Sultan said among adulterated products in the market, are Baby Foods like Cereal, and Snacks; Vinegar, Nuts, Juice, Chocolate, Sausage, Coffee, Pasta, Macaroni.

Besides, most adulterated products are- soya sauce, cooking sauce, oyster sauce, BBQ sauce, fish sauce like Coffee, Olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Hot sauce, HP sauce like Bleach, Washing powder, Apple Cider Vinegar, Mustard, and Lacing Sugar like Baby Oats, Food Grade Foil paper, Chocolate Syrup, Fabric softener comfort.

He said people are killed by eating adulterated food. Besides, if the wrapping paper used to cover food is not good, the person who eats the covered food will get cancer. Dishonest traders supply low-quality wrapping paper to the market,

He said due to proliferation of fake and adulterated products selling at half price, imported quality products face tough competition from lower price adulterated goods. As customers buy these products at lower price, they become gradually affected by incurable diseases.

So importers are losing market because they can't sell their goods at lower price in open competition. Many are thus stopping importing products and get unemployed.

Regarding the counterfeit products, he further said that it is necessary to organize a meeting of all stakeholders including representatives of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, National Board of Revenue and Bangladesh Bank and BAFISA.

They will be able to devise ways how to detect wrong doers, consumer rights body and government investigators will be able to deal with them properly.

Sultan said products that are not produced in the country face 60 percent to 292 percent import duty while developed countries levy 12 to 20 percent on their duty on import.

Moreover, delay in releasing containers carrying goods at port for customs verification and quality testing add to demurrage cost. On top of it, high interest rate on bank loans is fueling commodity prices.

Amid dollar crisis in the market, one has to buy the green back at higher price to open L/Cs. Thus import has become costlier often providing 100 percent margin.

In response to a question regarding the import of goods, he said, every time goods are imported; BSTI certificate has to be obtained at every import. However once a product is manufactured in local market BSTI certificate is given for three years.

He said 250 members of BAFISA body is suffering from growing irregular market and other mismatch and Sultan said the market needs clear disciplinary guidelines and punitive actions for those breaking the discipline.



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