Food Chemistry & Nutrition

Biography

Biography: Md. Faruque Hossain

Abstract

Use of chemical in food and food adulteration has always been a long-standing issue of consumer in both developed and developing countries. Many different government bodies in segregated geographical regions instated laws and regulations in order to protect consumers from harmful effects of consuming toxic foods. The citizens of Bangladesh, however, are still in danger of consuming foods which are chemically treated with hazardous materials (such as calcium carbide, sodium cyclamate, cyanide and formalin, etc.). Adulteration of foods has become a national issue. Many different national newspapers are constantly reporting the use of malicious substances fruits, vegetables, fish, foods and foods stuffs. This problem is not only ignoring the human rights for safer food but also endangering public health seriously with numerous acute and chronic diseases. Our future generation will be seriously affected with vulnerable physical and mental growth inflicted by food adulteration; therefore, the research illustrates consumers’ awareness of adulterated food items through a questionnaire of 950 respondents at Dhaka. The collected data was coded using SPSS Version 17 and analyzed for frequency distribution, cross tabulation and correlation analysis. Regression analysis was further used to analyze associate relationship between dependent variable and the independent variable. The results showed strong relationship between the dependable variable (awareness level) and the independent variables; i.e. sources of information (r=0.93, p<.001), awareness of chemical booths (r=0.88, p<.001) and awareness of laws (r=0.82, p<.001). However, it is concluded that consumption of adulterated food items severely affects the human health by producing many acute and chronic diseases; hence, it is very urgent to stop food adulteration. The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh should eradicate the practices of food adulteration to save the lives of citizens and hundreds of laws in the country including the new anti-formalin act 2014, but not many of them are enforced properly. Government should enact and implement these laws to ensure safe food without delay. Checking at the retail level not only will bring enough positive impacts but the whole supply chain from the producers and importers through wholesalers to retailers will have to be checked and cleaned. It also recommended that regular monitoring by appropriate agencies should continue it in a sustainable manner for controlling food adulteration.