Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has organized a Safe Food Awareness Week from April 16 -21 through an initiative to ensure safe Iftar for all, said a press release Saturday.
As a part of the program’s initiative, hygiene products, leaflets, pamphlets, caps, gloves as well as various safe food guidelines were provided to Iftar makers and vendors on Satmasjid Road in Dhanmondi area of the capital.
At the same time, consumers were advised to be careful while purchasing their iftar items. This program will further be executed in other populated and important areas of the capital like Bailey Road, Chawkbazar, Town Hall, Dhanmondi (Sat Masjid Road), Khilgaon (Taltala), Uttara etc.
Ferdous Ahmed, film actor joined the program along with Md Rezaul Karim and Prof Dr Md Abdul Alim, Members of BFSA, Abdun Naser Khan, Secretary of BFSA and others.
Actor Ferdous Ahmed said, “During the month of Ramadan, people tend to eat a lot of fried food, especially by buying from outside. Many people do not think about how these foods will affect their health after fasting all day. This is why food manufacturers and vendors have the big responsibility of ensuring proper preservation and safety of food items. The main objective of this program is to make the traders and consumers become of these issues.”
Md. Rezaul Karim, BFSA member said, “We are working to create awareness and responsible-thinking in the psyches of food producers, manufacturers and sellers in order to ensure that consumers do not get exposed to health hazards by buying and consuming unhealthy food.”
Prof. Md. Abdul Alim, BFSA member said, “I urged food producers and manufacturers to adapt all possible measures in order to ensure that they are producing food and delivering it to consumers by practicing preparation and preservation methods that are backed by science. “
Abdun Nasser Khan, BFSA Secretary said, “We are conducting regular monitoring sessions to ensure safe food and taking necessary action against any negligence of proper hygiene practices. We are very happy to have Ferdous by our side in this program. We are hopeful that his presence will make people more aware of safe eating.”
Bangladesh Food Safety Authority established “Bangladesh Food Safety Authority 2013” on February 2, 2015 under the Ministry of Food based on the Safe Food Act 2013. Since its inception, it has conducted various activities to ensure safe food for consumers. Notable among these are: conducting mobile courts, monitoring, road shows, lab-caravan road shows, grading, training of stakeholders, arrangement of seminars and workshops with participation of all concerned organizations, exchange of views with media personnel, hand washing programs, training of slum dwellers, distribution of leaflets and posters. In addition, to ensure the right to safe food through proper practice of scientific methods, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority is coordinating with all organizations involved in safe food management such as food production, import, processing, stocking, supply, marketing, sales processes, etc.
