Bangladesh Food Safety Foundation has observed 7 June 2023 World Food Safety Day

We are pleased to inform you that the Bangladesh Food Safety Foundation (BFSF) together with the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association (BROA), Bangladesh Supermarket Owners’ Association (BSOA), AGreen Foundation and Pure Drinking Water Manufacturers’ Association in Bangladesh (PDWMAB) observed the World Food Safety Day 2023 in 7 June for the 5^th time.  

This year the activities undertaken were as follows:

a)    BFSF communication materials such as i) customized e-poster and ii) another e-flayer containing the theme, slogan and key messages that were prepare with logos of the five organization for dissemination purposes (files attached: E-poster 2023 & Theme Slogan Key Messages);

b)    Distribution of UN communication materials and BFSF customized communication materials through email to 380 food business and their associations, Apex Chamber bodies such as FBCCI, DCCI, MCCI and its 59 Members, 40 District Chambers of Commerce Members, 362 INGs/NGOs, 116 print and electronic media outlets, 53 diplomatic missions in Bangladesh and 51 international organization in Bangladesh conveying the UN request to observe the Day;

c)     Print and distribution of 2 flyers one on the “Theme, Slogan and Key Messages” and the another on “5 Calls for Action” and distribution 2000 pcs. each (file attached: Flyer1 & Flyer2);

d)    Holding a seminar on “Advancing Self-compliance of Food Hygiene and Safety Standards in Food Establishments in Bangladesh” (file attached: CEO Summary). Three issues were presented as follows:

(i)              “Compliance of Hygiene Standards in Food Establishments” by Prof. Iqbal Rouf Mamun, University of Dhaka (file attached: Mamun Lecture1)

(ii)            “Conducting Compliance Audits at Food Establishments” by Engr. Md. Liaquat Ali. Founding Director General of Bangladesh Accreditation Board, (file attached: Liaquat Lecture1) and

(iii)          “Compliance of Food Safety Standards through Testing at Food Establishments” by Mr. Abul Basher Miah. Former Director, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation. (file attached: Basher Lecture)

Mr. Mustak Hassan Md Iftekhar, CEO of BFSF elaborated the theme- “Food Standards Save Lives” at the outset to facilitate the seminar topics. (file attached: Iftekhar Lecture) Professor Dr. SM Nazrul Islam, Founding Chairman of the Bangladesh Engineering Research Council and former Vice-Chancellor of the Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology graced the occasion as the Chief Guest while Mr. Imran Hassan, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association as Guest of Honour. The seminar was chaired by the Dr. Md Hamidur Rahman (file: Chair), A senior portfolio Secretary of the Foundation and former Director General of the Directorate of Agriculture Extension.

Representatives from the businesses specially Mr. Imran Hassan, General Secretary, BROA and Syed Adbullah Al Mamun, Head of Business, Prince Bazaar said that food and food ingredients sold or cooked food served were safe. However, preserving conditions and negligence of food workers might have some faults that caused food unsafe. From the very beginning they were sincere about the safety of foods they served or kept for retailing and still that day they were committed. It needed to be moved forward gradually and the food control agencies must support and facilitate rather than control in the name of mobile court and adjudication, they added. Admitting resource constraints, absence of food safety culture and food workers’ repeated fault, they, however, said that compliance of all safety standards would increase product to a large extent and that would shoot up price of food served in the restaurants (verbatim: “Yes, many of the restaurants in Dhaka city can declare itself compliant, but the price of food served will shoot up. Do you think consumers can bear the cost? Do you think we lose our business?”) (file attached: Spl Guest and Al-Mamun). Mr. Abul Hossain Miah, Portfolio Member of BFSF and Founding Director General, National Comsumers Protection … (file: Abul), Mr. Harunuzzaman Bhuyan, former Director, National Consumers Protection… (file: Harun Vokta), Mr. Taufiqul Islam, Treasurer, BROA (file: Toufiq BROA), Syed Mohd. Andalib from BROA (file: Andalib), Mr. Akhtaruzzaman, former Director, BSTI (file: Akhtaruzzaman BSTI) and Mr. Imrul Hassan, Food Safety Specialist, USAID (file: Imrul) also spoke in the seminar.

The seminar was attended by 45 participants from food businesses, food control agencies and consumers. Among others Mr. Zillur Rahman, Founder, AGreen Foundation, Mr. Amitav Mondol, Director, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, Mr. Abu Zafor, Matribhumi Dairy Foods Ltd., Mr. Samir Paul, DGM, Q/C & R&D, Dhaka Ice Cream Industry Ltd., Mr. Osman Bari, President, BROA, Mr. Mitul Shaha, Managing Director (In-charge), Hortex Foundation and Mr. Murtaza Nasir, Square Group also attended (file: Audience1 & Audience2).  Prof. Dr. Nazrul, Chief Guest (file attached: CG Speaks) in his concluding speech concluded by saying that food control agencies and the food businesses had several limitations. However, they would have to start from somewhere in whatever scale it is. For this purpose, both the parties need to be sensitised and cooperative to each other and act based on science. It is better that the food businesses declare themselves self-compliant and advance it with the support of government agencies. Ultimately at the end of the day ‘we all are consumers’.