Adulteration of food

This is a vigorous response to the pubic outcry that the existing laws were not tough enough to deal with a crime like adulteration. The fine money has been raised to Tk 75,000 for those committing the crime for the first time along with one year rigorous imprisonment. The money will be tripled for any repetition of the crime.

So there is no doubt that the decision makers are making a determined effort to impose heavier punishment, that might really work as a deterrent, on the dishonest elements. However, some questions are still unanswered. For example, how are they planning to stop adulteration of non-food items like pharmaceuticals? This is a vast area where quality control is yet to reach the desired mark.

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Another area of concern is that fake manufacturing plants are using popular brand names. So bona fide businessmen are losing their goodwill and getting enmeshed in legal complications for no fault of theirs.

The government's decision to go for tougher legal measures against adulteration is understandable. The plan to involve local bodies in the anti-adulteration drive through having their representatives as public analysts of food is a commendable one. But matters must improve in other areas also. It has been reported in the daily Porthom Alo that the government agencies have neither the equipment nor the trained personnel at the laboratories to detect adulteration. The laboratories do not have the facilities to correctly assess the damaging effects of non-food grade colours and other harmful ingredients on the human body.

So, it is necessary to strike at the roots of the problem. The government has to think in terms of developing a reliable system of detecting adulteration and unhygienic practices at different levels of food production. The magnitude of the problem calls for a round-the-year vigil, instead of seasonal campaigns.