Free Essay

Food

In:

Submitted By rifat606
Words 812
Pages 4
Dealing with food adulteration problem
Muhammad Mustafa
Posted: 28 Mar, 2015 00:00:00
Source : http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/03/28/86548

The adulteration or contamination of food is an alarming problem in Bangladesh. It affects the life of each and every person irrespective of gender, age or economic status. It poses serious threat to the development of the growing children – even when a child is still in the womb of the mother. The number of disabled and autistic children in the country is around 1.5 million, according to child health specialists. Access to pure and safe food is a fundamental right of every citizen of the country but unfortunately adulteration of food with toxic chemicals has reached such a level that pure and safe food is hardly available in the market. So, knowingly or unknowingly, people have to buy poisonous adulterated food with their hard-earned money to eat and to feed their children.
The media, particularly the newspapers, have raised the awareness of the people about food adulteration. They have been writing how food grains, vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, milk, bakery products, sweetmeats, ice-cream and soft drink are being adulterated. Recently, it was published in many dailies that poultry, dairy and fish feed are produced from the waste of tannery factories, which are contaminated with heavy metals like cadmium, chromium, lead, etc. These harmful heavy metals are entering our body through consumption of fish, meat, chicken and egg, which acts on our vital organs causing serious complications. Few months back, it was disclosed by the Institute of Public Health that 89 per cent powdered milk in the market were contaminated in many ways, and liquid milk of many dairy farms were found to be contaminated with toxic Aldrin. In other cases, liquid milk was found adulterated with formalin, hydrogen per-oxide, boric acid, sodium carbonate, caustic soda, paint and urea.
From this short account of the state of food situation, it is seen that we are over head and ears in the food adulteration problem. Some people make a witty comment: if anyone now wants to commit suicide by taking poison, he/she may not die, as poison is also adulterated. It may sound ridiculous to many, but the harsh reality is that food adulteration is a silent killer. It adversely affects our vital organs like kidney, liver, brain, bone marrow, respiratory tract and also causes cancer. According to recent statistics, more than 3,00,000 people in the country are suffering from cancer and health experts cautioned that the number would be double within the next 10 to 15 years, if the present trend of food adulteration continued. Minor children are now seen to suffer from kidney, liver and heart diseases which shows direct linkage of these diseases with food adulteration.
Many people hold a pessimistic view and say that they do not see any hope for the solution of this problem in the near future. Some have also stopped buying and eating all kinds of fruits, milk etc. to avoid health hazards associated with the consumption of poisonous food.
The good news is that, concerned people, civil society members, consumers’ right protection groups and the media have raised their voice against this social crime. The government is also committed to stamp out this problem and has passed a new Safe Food Law-2013 which has become effective from February 01, 2015. The Safe Food Authority (SFA) has also become functional from that date. Now all eyes are focused on SFA to see how quickly it is organised, sets the standards of safe food and enforce the law to achieve the goal of ensuring pure and safe food for the people.
It may be pertinent to mention here that food adulteration is a social problem and some food growers, businessmen, traders and vendors are involved in the food adulteration process. Sometimes, growers have to use chemicals for the protection of their crops from the attack of insects and diseases. In many cases, they cannot choose the right chemicals and determine the right dose due to ignorance. Unscrupulous growers and traders of fruits sometimes use calcium carbide and other toxic chemicals for ripening and preservation of fruits. Farmers should be trained in the use of chemicals. They should also be motivated not to use any chemicals with food items without the prescription of agriculture/livestock/fisheries officers.
The secondary food producers, businessmen and traders, who are involved with food adulteration, should be educated from the ethical and moral points of views and persuaded not to adulterate food. Above all, stern measures should be taken against the violators of the Safe Food Law-2013. The writer is a Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Food, Government of Bangladesh and an alumnus of Asia pacific Centre for Security Studies (APCSS), Hawaii, USA. E-mail-shapla1959@yahoo.com.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Food

...I Love to eat food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food a food a food a food a foodI Love to eat food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food a food a food a food a foodI Love to eat food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food a food a food a food a foodI Love to eat food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food a food a food a food a foodI Love to eat food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food a food a food a food a foodI Love to eat food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food a food a food a food a foodI Love to eat...

Words: 417 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Food

...Food Food is any substance[1] consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essentialnutrients, such as fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cellsto provide energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth. Historically, people secured food through two methods: hunting and gathering and agriculture. Today, the majority of the food energyrequired by the ever increasing population of the world is supplied by the food industry. * 15Further reading * 16External links ------------------------------------------------- Food sources Tractor and Chaser bin Main articles: Agriculture, Food industry and Genetically modified food Most food has always been obtained through agriculture. With increasing concern over both the methods and products of modernindustrial agriculture, there has been a growing trend toward sustainable agricultural practices. This approach, partly fueled by consumer demand, encourages biodiversity, local self-reliance and organic farming methods.[10] Major influences on food production include international organizations (e.g. the World Trade Organization and Common Agricultural Policy), national government policy (or law), and war.[11] In popular culture, the mass production of food, specifically meats such as chicken and beef, has come under fire from variousdocumentaries, most recently Food, Inc, documenting the mass...

Words: 507 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Food

...JOSEPHINE A. BEOKU-BETTS in her article mentions how kitchen related tasks, such a as food preparations and cooking are considered women central activities and are seen a a woman’s “natural role”. In her article she mainly talks about the people of the Gullah community belonging to Sea Islands and neighbouring mainland regions in Georgia and South Carolina. She mentions how each task in the preparation of food in this community is gender specified. While all women and men are aquatinted with hunting, fishing and gardening, the men are responsible for hunting and procuring the products for the food while the women of the community are responsible for all the cooking and tasks relating in the kitchen along with taking care of the kids. The men of this community rarely cook. While in Gullah community some of the activities overlap, women and men had different ways of doing it, while the men fish with nets the women use rods and reels, in farming while the men are responsible for all the work that requires strength and heavy lifting the women are responsibly for tasks such as weeding. Similarly in India, women are portrayed as housewives who belong in the kitchen and whose role is to take care of the children and have the food ready for the husbands. One of the most important things mother in laws and men look for while searching for a wife in an arranged marriage in India is that she should be able to cook While Deutsch is his article talks about how of women are men ...

Words: 657 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Food

...Pani puri Pani puri consists of crisp fried round, hollow puri filled with black chick peas and potatoes and mint sauce seasoned with spices. The combination of tangy, sour, and sweet taste of this food is what makes it one of my most favorite food in the world. When I was little, I used to eat pani puris at least once every week. Every time I hear someone mention pani puri, I get water in my mouth. Pani puri is a food that can be eaten at any time of the day- for lunch, as a snack or even for dinner. Pani puri is easily available; anyone can eat it and it refreshes your mood. Pani puri is easily available in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other surrounding countries. Most people eat them at mobile stalls on the side of the roads. These stalls are all over the cities, as well as in villages. There are stalls that roam around the cities and possibility of seeing one of these stalls passing by your house is very high. If you are one of those people who avoids eating out as much as possible,making puris is a very tricky and time consuming work. There are shops that make the puris and sell them. They are not very expensive, so most people can afford to buy them. All the other ingredients only take about an hour, at most, to make. But because of its widespread availability, anyone can eat it. Puris used in pani puri can be made into many sizes, So it can easily fit anyone’s mouth. It can fit anyone’s taste for most part, whether you like spicy, sweet, or sour. Two...

Words: 560 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Food

...Cooking food in a microwave oven has always been something I’ve dreaded. Upon placing my hot pocket in the microwave and setting it to what I think is the correct cooking length (because you know the instructions are never right, especially if you have a microwave like mine that is a 900watt while the instructions are always listed for 700 and 1200watt), I take a step back and wonder whether or whether or not the hot pocket will be a block of frozen marinara sauce in the center, an overcooked piece of shoe leather, or maybe just maybe, a warm, evenly cooked, radiated, pillow of delicious pepperoni pizza. It seems that I can never remember that correct time that I had used before, as every hot pocket seems to be different. If you decide to pick up a ham and cheese hot pocket, well of course that thing is going to run all over the paper plate within the first two and a half minutes. If your mom happens to buy a meatball marinara hot pocket, you’re stuck with dense balls of processed meat and soybeans INSIDE an already impossible to cook savory pastry crust. The day where everything is just right, I worked out, already feeling good about myself, I press my forehead up to the reinforced polycarbonate microwave window and really stare that Hot Pocket down, waiting for any signs of deflation, a telltale sign of a perfectly cooked frozen baked good. After all of the rituals are finished, what lies before you is the final product. Everything you’ve learned about microwaving food sits on...

Words: 495 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Food

...| | | | | | | | |ASEAN Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | | ...

Words: 2256 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Food

...Fast Food causes and effects The Combination of problems associated with fast food restaurants and an increase in national food consumption have resulted in negative health effects such as obesity, poor health and disease. We as Americans are always on the go; we need things fast and at our disposal. The home cooked meal is a luxury to some because many don’t have time to be home preparing meals. So fast food may be first on the list. Unaware of how the burger we just consumed, the chicken sandwich or even something as simple as a salad was produced, cleaned and transported to the fast food chain restaurants, most never worry about the health and safety risks this can cause to the body and the human population. My argument is that we should be more careful and conscientious to what we eat. Obesity has become a national issue a lot of health issues have been associated with obesity. Since 1970 the amount of fast food restaurants in businesses doubled which equates to almost 300,000 establishments in the United States. It is a coincidence that 33.8 percent of the U.S population is affected by obesity and 19 percent of children and adolescents are also affected. Meaning the more fast food restaruants we create the more likely we will frequent these establishments on a day to day to basis. Many fast food items are high in calories and grams of fat. If you purchase a McDonalds Big Mac which is 540 calories and 29 grams of fat, a Medium Fry 380 calories and 19 grams of fat...

Words: 739 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Food

...Food is a constant in life; we need it for energy, growth, nourishment and survival. You never really know how much food plays into our lives until you try to change the food you eat or analyze why or how you eat the food you consume. Food Psychology is the study of the mental process behind how and why we eat. Research has shown over the years that our eating habits are significantly influenced by our view and thoughts on food as well as many other social, environmental, physical and psychological factors. Anthekme Brillat Savarin sums it up greatly with the phrase “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are”. Food feeds our feelings and sometimes our feelings feed food into us more than we’d like. Food is a common denominator in life, we socialize around food, celebrate holidays with food, even going on a date we commonly find ourselves surrounded with food. Food can evoke memories of our distant past; it can arouse us, harm us or help us. Even jealousy can flair up in people due to food, one study found; “compared with things like having a coffee or talking on the telephone when their partners had lunch with an old flame, it provoked the most jealousy (Kniffin & Wansink, 2012). Psychology is a ponderous part of life as is it relation to food. Food relates to psychology because it drives how we eat, how we market food and how we connect food with experiences and memories; food can become a coping tool and therefore influence us. Food Psychology has many...

Words: 326 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Food

...Andrew Griffin 2/8/16 Dr. Lee Food Memoir She handed me a yellow piece paper. Crumbled up and then flattened-out again, folded every which way with blue lines now faded from all the wear and tear. On it, looked like what I can only describe as chicken scratch, in two different colored ink and even pencil marking hieroglyphs. “Andrew I need you to get everything on this list as soon as possible so go right now” she said as she frantically loads more potatoes into the oven. “Mom, the party start in like three hour and this list isn’t even in English”. She puts down the avocado she was hastily gutting like a fish and snatches the list from my hand and begins rambling off indigents ranging I have never heard off as I smash my fingers into my phone’s keyboard in a panic to copy them as these key items would not be repeated. “Mom I have no idea what a leek even looks like” I say to her bewildered at the task at hand “Andrew I don’t have time for this just go now and find them” she says as she slices a cucumber. My mother’s cooking is different in the sense that there is not a rhyme or reason for what is made. From Monday’s Homestyle chicken coated in cornflakes from top to bottom for a savor crunch in every bite dipped in country gravy to Tuesday’s mouthwatering ribs that we tear at like carnivorous beast with our hands and mouths thrashing at the meat till only bones remain, one can never guess or understand the high order or power of my mother cooking process. I...

Words: 525 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Food

...Vittor Jardim Freshman Composition 10/06/2015 Dr. Jessica Martell Food for everyone or quality food for almost all of them? Paarlberg and Salatin have very different stand of view about food production. Paarlberg defends that we should expand the production way to poor countries, in the other hand Salatin defend an organic production and that way bring a healthy life for people not just feed them. In my opinion a lot of people starve nowadays and die because they do not have what to eat it does not make sense anymore. In my opinion Paarlberg is right when he defends the industrial way to produce and would help a lot to fight against the world hunger if it gets expanded. In his text Paarlberg claims that nowadays a new trend related to food is make food ecological and healthier. In his opinion people should focus on combating world hunger. The technology that is used in the actual production (produce food with less space and resources) should be exported to poor countries where hunger is a problem like in Africa. He cited a study published by Journal of Clinical Nutrition published last year that shows that is no nutritional advantages between organic and industrial food and he cited a quote of Mayo Clinic “No conclusive evidence shows that organic food is more nutritious than is conventionally grown food.”(Parllberg 145). If it is not more nutritional, it is more expensive and hard to plant organic why we should focus in organic instead expand the technology and fight...

Words: 743 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Food

...We all need food to survive. It is essential that we eat two or three meals a day. There are many types of food. We eat certain types of food for physical needs and some foods for personal taste. Most of us have a favorite food, however we might be prohibited from eating it because they might be considered. The three most famous food types are American, Italian, and Chinese. American food is very popular. It is known throughout the world. Most American foods include fast food, such as McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendy’s. Most of these foods are also known as junk food because they are considered unhealthy. However, a typical American family will go to these fast food restaurants at least twice a week. The dollar menu is very popular among teens. All these fast food restaurants serve hamburger as the main food. Another type of American food is hotdog. Most people like to eat hotdog in a hot dog bun with mustard and sauerkraut. In addition, Jell-O and apple pie are the two most popular American deserts. American food is international and there is a McDonalds in almost every country in the world. Italian food is very interesting. The food that Italians are most known for is pizza. Pizza is also very popular and known throughout the world. In addition, different types of pasta such as baked ziti or lasagna are also in the Italian tradition. Salad and salad dressing is another type of food Italians are well known for. Italian food also includes dishes such as chicken Parmesan...

Words: 446 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Food

...The Solution to FDA Oversight Food is an essential part of everyone’s life. Therefore, there is a huge food industry that is intertwined with everyone’s life. People may not realize our relationship with food is actually quite convoluted and corrupt. This convolution and corruption are derived from food manufacturers using harmful chemicals and additives in food that could be harmful towards those who consume products containing these harmful substances. Alvin and Virginia Silverstein, authors of the book The Chemicals We Eat and Drink, both agree that all food—natural or not—are chemicals (Silverstein). However, people need these “chemicals” to survive. Ultimately, everyone will consume—at many points in their lives—processed foods that may not particularly be safe for them in terms of the kind of ingredients used. To fix this, an ultimatum must be acted upon. All chemicals and additives added to food in the United States (US) that pose any health risks should be monitored, regulated, and if necessary, banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the manufacturing of food products in order to increase food safety and increase manufacturing liability within the food industry. To establish my credibility, I have been researching the subject for a few months now. I have dove deep on the issue of how these harmful chemicals can be regulated and how to make the food industry a safer place by pinpointing the roots of the problem through identifying the instigators; those mainly...

Words: 630 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Food

...Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfg...

Words: 5260 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

Food Handling

...[pic] Food Handling: Dos and Don’ts Guidelines 1. Potentially hazardous foods must be kept at 45oF or below or 135oF or above. The range between 45oF and 135oF is considered the “DANGER ZONE” because bacteria can grow best within this range. 2. Potentially hazardous foods shall be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 140oF except as follows: a. Roast beef shall be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 130oF b. Beef steak shall be cooked to at least 130oF, unless otherwise ordered by the immediate consumer c. Food from an approved packaging plant shall be cooked to at least 135oF d. Pork and food containing pork shall be cooked to at least 150 oF e. Ground beef and foods containing ground beef shall be cooked to at least 155 oF f. Poultry, stuffed poultry, stuffed meats and stuffings containing meat shall be cooked to at least 165 oF 3. Potentially hazardous foods that have been cooked and then refrigerated must be reheated to 165 oF within 2 hours. 4. Cooked potentially hazardous foods must be actively cooled once they reach 135 oF. Cool from 135 oF to 70 oF within 2 hours and then from 70 oF to 45 oF within 4 additional hours, for a total of six hours to cool. Cooling methods include: placing foods in shallow pans, separating the food into smaller and thinner portions, using rapid cooling equipment, ice baths, ice wands, containers that facilitate heat transfer, adding...

Words: 1538 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Food

...Change December 15. 2013 Change Food Politics: the political aspects of production, control, regulation, inspection and distribution of food. The politics can be affected by the ethical, cultural, medical and environmental disputes concerning proper farming, agriculture and retailing methods and regulations. Food politics is something most college students know nothing about. But without it, one bite from that burger you love from McDonalds could kill you. Do you ever stop and think about who controls what we eat, what can and cannot go into our food, or who even produces our food? Probably not. All college kids want to know is how well it tastes, the cost of it, and how much they can get in one sitting. Our food system is in place to make sure production, control, regulation, inspection, and distribution of food is met to the highest of standards. But as our world changes, so does our need for a changing food system. The American food system needs to change because it’s causing world hunger in other nations, there is a blurred line in the quality of organic food, and lastly Americans don’t even know where their food has come from. We’ve all seen those informational commercials where they ask us to donate around 20 cents a week to help the hungry in a third world country. Have you ever thought about how that country got to the state it’s in or why they can’t get out of that state? Believe it or not, the “Green Revolution” isn’t as great as most think. The revolution brought...

Words: 1492 - Pages: 6