Chittagong markets flooded by adulterated foods

Adulterated essential foods including ghee, milk powder, oil, semolina, vermicelli (Shemai), flour etc have flooded the markets in Chittagong during holy Ramadan.

Continuous mobile court by administration and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and raids of the law enforcing agencies including the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) cannot control the selling the low quality and adulterated items in the markets.

As a result, sufferings of the people are highly increasing as a syndicate of dishonest traders is very active in markets, concerned sources said.

Consumers' Association of Bangladesh (CAB) central committee member SM Nazer Hussain said, "The unscrupulous business enterprises in the city are adulterating foods by mixing harmful chemicals, which is eventually posing serious hazards to health."

"Harmful chemicals, including formalin, calcium carbide and dyeing color, are being mixed with different food items. Besides, the foods are manufactured in an unhygienic condition.   Citizens claimed, the bad tendency of adulteration is on a rampant rise due mainly to the absence of exemplary punitive actions against the errant traders.

They alleged, due to the absence of a help line, the consumers are being deceived on regular basis and cannot formally complain against this malpractice. As long as a lack of coordination among all the concerned bodies, including the law enforcing agencies for checking adulteration in foods, is there, the initiative would go in vain.

CAB Chittagong chapter leaders expressed deep concern over the prevailing situation in the city and they demanded regular monitoring by the concerned authorities against the low quality and adulterated essential goods.

Meanwhile, district administration, law enforcing agencies, including RAB, and concerned authorities are conducting raids against the persons who are involved in selling these items. The authorities seized many posh shops and fined many of the businessmen for selling low quality and adulterated essential goods.

Sources said, the dishonest businessmen, importers and wholesalers have formed a vicious syndicate to adulterate milk powder and essentials. Usually, the dishonest businessmen are selling the adulterated goods to the local retail markets.

The consumers are buying the items, as the prices of the adulterated goods are comparatively low. Hotels, bakeries, restaurants and food manufacturing enterprises of Chittagong are the main customers of adulterated milk powder and these essential goods. They buy these from the wholesale market of the port city and use for making various types of food.

The law enforcing agencies have taken special measures to nab the criminals. Besides, Magistrates of the Chittagong district administration are conducting special drives against the hotels, shops and enterprises that are involved in selling adulterated food. Different food-items either produced by low-quality, rotten ingredients, stale or in an unhygienic environment are on sale unabatedly in the markets pushing the public health at great risk.

Neither do the producers nor the retailers care about public health and never seek certification from Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institutions (BSTI) before putting the products into the markets for sale.