The government has undertaken an initiative to introduce mobile laboratory vans in all 64 districts to rapidly detect food adulteration and ensure safe food for consumers across the country. State Minister for Food Md. Abdul Bari informed parliament that each van will be equipped with a mini laboratory, enabling instant testing of food samples at markets in districts, upazilas, and rural areas.
Abdul Bari said ensuring safe food production, processing, and marketing has been given national priority in line with the government’s election manifesto. The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), along with other relevant agencies, is conducting regular drives against food adulteration to protect public health.
Strict legal action is being taken against adulterated food under various acts, including the Penal Code, the Food Safety Act-2013, and the Consumer Rights Protection Act-2009. The Special Powers Act provides severe penalties, including the death penalty, for producing or marketing poisonous or adulterated food.
The BFSA has already established 72 mini laboratories in 64 district and eight divisional offices. Over the last five months, these laboratories tested 6,795 food samples, with examinations of around 19,700 samples underway this year. Eight mobile laboratory vans are currently operating in the country’s eight divisional cities.
To expand the service nationwide, the government will procure 64 additional mobile laboratory vans, one for each district. A project has also been undertaken to establish a central reference laboratory in Dhaka and two divisional laboratories in Chattogram and Khulna to strengthen food testing capacity.
Public awareness campaigns on safe food are being carried out through various media, and five sets of regulations are being formulated to further strengthen the food safety framework. All imported food products are being examined at major ports and land ports.
