(From L-R) Osman Ghani, President, BROA, Mr. Mustak Iftekhar, Mr. Matiur Rahman, Owner, CarryFamily,
Dr. Hamidur Rahman, Professor Dr. SM Nazrul Islam, Mr. Imran Hassan, General Secretary, BROA,
Mr. Tawfiqul Islam, Treasurer, BROA, and Mr. Abul Hossain Mian.
The Bangladesh Food Safety Foundation (BFSF), in collaboration with esteemed partners, including the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association (BROA), Bangladesh Supermarket Owners’ Association (BSOA), AGreen Foundation, and Pure Drinking Water Manufacturers’ Association in Bangladesh (PDWMAB), celebrated World Food Safety Day 2023 on June 7th. This marked the fifth consecutive year of our collective commitment to food safety.
Key Highlights of the Event:
Communication Materials:
We designed and shared communication materials, including a customized e-poster and an e-flyer featuring the event’s theme, slogan, and key messages. These materials bore the logos of all five collaborating organizations.
Outreach Efforts:
To ensure wide reach and engagement, we disseminated UN communication materials and BFSF’s customized content via email to various stakeholders, encompassing:
- 380 food businesses and their associations
- Apex Chamber bodies such as FBCCI, DCCI, MCCI, and their 59 members
- 40 District Chambers of Commerce members
- 362 INGs/NGOs
- 116 print and electronic media outlets
- 53 diplomatic missions in Bangladesh
- 51 international organizations in Bangladesh
Educational Materials:
We printed and distributed two informative flyers: one focusing on the “Theme, Slogan, and Key Messages” and the other on the “5 Calls for Action.” A total of 2,000 copies of each flyer were distributed.
Seminar on Food Hygiene and Safety Standards:
- A seminar titled “Advancing Self-compliance of Food Hygiene and Safety Standards in Food Establishments in Bangladesh” was conducted. The seminar covered essential topics:
- “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
- “Compliance of Food Safety Standards through Testing at Food Establishments” by Mr. Abul Basher Miah, Former Director, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation
Distinguished Guests and Participants:
The seminar featured esteemed guests, including Professor Dr. SM Nazrul Islam, Founding Chairman of the Bangladesh Engineering Research Council, and Mr. Imran Hassan, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association, among others.
Key Takeaways:
Representatives from businesses emphasized their commitment to food safety and identified areas of concern, such as food worker negligence. They urged for gradual progress with support from food control agencies.
The seminar was attended by 45 participants from food businesses, food control agencies, and consumers.
A Call for Collaboration:
In his concluding remarks, Professor Dr. Nazrul emphasized the need for sensitization, cooperation, and science-based actions between food control agencies and businesses. He encouraged businesses to declare themselves self-compliant, stressing that, in the end, “we all are consumers.”