The Bangladesh Food Safety Foundation (BFSF) observed World Food Safety Day 2023 on 7 June for the 5th time.

This year the activities undertaken were as follows:

a)     BFSF communication materials such electronic posters and flyers containing the theme, slogan and key messages that were prepare with logos of the five organization for dissemination purposes

b)     Distribution of World Food Safety Day communication materials and BFSF customized communication materials through email to 380 food business and their associations, Apex Chamber bodies such as the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) and its 59 Members, 40 District Chambers of Commerce Members, 362 International Non-Governmental Organizations/Non-Governmental Organizations, 116 print and electronic media outlets, 25 diplomatic missions in Bangladesh and 15 international organizations in Bangladesh conveying the United Nations request to observe the Day

c)     Print and distribution of 2 flyers one on the “Theme, Slogan and Key Messages” and the another on “5 Calls for Action” and distribution 2000 pcs. each

d)     A holding a seminar on “Advancing Self-compliance of Food Hygiene and Safety Standards in Food Establishments in Bangladesh"

Three issues were presented as follows:

• “Compliance of Hygiene Standards in Food Establishments” by Prof. Iqbal Rouf Mamun, University of Dhaka
•  “Conducting Compliance Audits at Food Establishments” by Engr. Md. Liaquat Ali. Founding Director General of Bangladesh Accreditation Board, and
• “Compliance of Food Safety Standards through Testing at Food Establishments” by Mr Abul Basher Miah. Former Director, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation.

Mr. Mustak Hassan Md Iftekhar, CEO of BFSF elaborated the theme “Food Standards Save Lives” at the outset to facilitate the seminar topics. Professor Dr SM Nazrul Islam, Founding Chairman of the Bangladesh Engineering Research Council and former Vice-Chancellor of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, while Khandaker Ruhul Amin, Director, Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Mr Imran Hassan, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association were Guests of Honour.

The seminar was chaired by Dr Md Hamidur Rahman, a senior portfolio secretary of the Foundation and former Director-General of the Directorate of Agriculture Extension. The seminar was attended by 45 participants from food businesses, food control agencies and consumers.

Representatives from the businesses, especially Mr Imran Hassan and Syed Adbullah Al Mamun said that food and food ingredients sold or cooked food served were safe. However, preserving conditions and negligence of food workers might have some faults that made food unsafe. From the very beginning they were sincere about the safety of foods they served or kept for retailing and still that day they were committed. It needed to be moved forward gradually and the food control agencies must support and facilitate rather than control in the name of mobile court and adjudication, they added. Admitting resource constraints, absence of food safety culture and food workers’ repeated fault, they, however, said that compliance of all safety standards would increase product to a large extent and that would cause the cost of food served in restaurants to increase.

Prof. Dr Nazrul, Chief Guest in his concluding speech said that food control agencies and the food businesses had several limitations. However, they would have to start from somewhere in whatever scale it is. For this purpose, both the parties need to be sensitized and cooperative to each other and act based on science. It is better that the food businesses declare themselves self-compliant and advance it with the support of government agencies. Ultimately at the end of the day ‘we all are consumers’.

BFSF is a science-based, independent, and not-for-profit organization that emerged as the first think-tank of its kind in Bangladesh in March 2019, together with the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association (BROA), Bangladesh Supermarket Owners’ Association (BSOA), A Green Foundation and Pure Drinking Water Manufacturers’ Association in Bangladesh (PDWMAB).  

Photos © Bangladesh Food Safety Foundation (BFSF)