Govt expert suggests formalin levels check first

A government expert has said the authorities should check the levels of formalin in food instead of destroying anything that tests positive for the chemical.

Directorate General of Health Services Director General Prof Deen Mohammad Nurul Haque says any anti-formalin measure must be informed by laboratory advice first.

“Formalin exists naturally in fruits, vegetables and even the human body,” the DG health said at a discussion on Tuesday on ‘Formalin and Food Safety’ at the National Press Club.

“Bangladesh has world-class laboratories now. We ran tests there that showed that the formalin levels were below critical levels determine by the United Nations,” he said.

Formalin is a water solution of formaldehyde, used in textile, paper and paint industry and preservation of dead bodies.

It is widely used in Bangladesh to preserve fish, vegetables and fruits even though it is seriously harmful to the human body in higher doses.

Last week, the High Court issued a five-point directive to prevent the use of chemicals to ripen and preserve fruits.

It ordered the government to monitor fruit markets and cold storages throughout the year.

But on Monday, it ordered authorities to check the formalin detectors which are used in Bangladesh after Bangladesh Food Importers Association filed a writ petition raising doubts.

The DG health said, “We’ve tested cauliflowers from the market and found formalin in them, but they are lower than UN-determined levels. So should we destroy those cauliflowers?”

However, he said, food adulteration was causing new and complex diseases in people. Haque suggested that the government crack down on the availability of formalin.

The discussion was hosted by amarhealth.com, an online health portal. Food Minister Qamrul Islam was the chief guest.

Among other guests were Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed and the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science. Director Aleya Mowlah.

The food minister said, “Formalin has terrorised the entire nation. We’ve seen formalin adulteration in fish, meat, vegetables and even infant food.”

The government was showing zero tolerance for formalin adulteration and a new safe food law was underway, he said.

“To implement the law, we’re creating a Safe Food Authority. Already we have sought a suitable chairman, four members and a member secretary from public administration ministry,” he added.

But it would take some time to implement the law, Qamrul said.

“One thing I can assure you of is that we won’t tolerate food adulteration. But a law won’t solve everything. People have to be alert,” he said.

Commissioner Ahmed said it was an unpleasant task to have to destroy food items.

“Don’t force us to do this. In future we will lead a stronger drive to remove adulterated food,” he said.

He asked all people involved in the food market to check for adulteration before buying.

“Some chemicals are used by the farmers. But farmers don’t know what the right amount of usage is. We need to educate them,” the police commissioner said.