Staff Reporter:
Food Minister Afroza Khanam yesterday underscored the need for raising public awareness and increasing food testing capacity to ensure food safety.
“Ensuring food safety is not the sole responsibility of the government all stakeholders must work together in a coordinated manner,” she told a views-exchange meeting with Bangladesh Food Safe-ty Authority (BFSA) officers and employees at its head office yesterday.
Khanam said public health and well-being of the future generations largely depend on the types of food they consume.
Ensuring food safety is the prerequisite to build a healthy and prosperous Bangladesh, she said.
The minister stressed providing accurate information about various packaged foods and beverages to people and strengthening regular monitoring to ensure food quality and safety.
The eight food testing mobile laboratories currently operating at the divisional level are not suffi-cient, she said adding that mobile laboratories should gradually be established in all 64 districts.
This would make it possible to conduct preliminary tests of food products quickly at the site and make food safety assurance activities more effective, said Khanam.
She said food testing must be made faster and more reliable by increasing testing capacity and in-troducing modern technology.
Food Secretary Abu Taher Md. Masud Rana also spoke with BFSA Chairman Md Safiqul Islam in the chair. BFSA Secretary Srabasti Roy delivered the welcome address.
Earlier, the food minister inspected the BFSA’s mini laboratory (mobile van) and laboratory.
