The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) fined 26 food businesses a total of Tk35.5 lakh and filed 28 cases over various irregularities during mobile court drives across the country in October.
The authority monitored 1,127 food establishments, including markets, hotels and restaurants, bakeries, sweet shops, and food production and processing facilities during the month, according to a press release issued today (2 November).
In Dhaka city, the authority conducted drives at 17 establishments, fining nine of them Tk13 lakh and filing 11 cases over various violations.
The irregularities included food handlers operating without health certificates, running businesses without mandatory registration, preparing food in unhygienic conditions, and storing fish, meat and other food items in refrigerators without labels.
Some establishments also lacked trade licences and failed to produce evidence of pest-control measures, the release said.
Outside Dhaka, the BFSA conducted drives at 17 establishments in different districts, fining them a total of Tk22.5 lakh and filing 17 cases.
The violations included cockroach infestations in kitchens, use of burnt cooking oil and unauthorised chemical colours and ingredients, products without proper labels, and food production in dirty and unhygienic environments.
BFSA Chairman Shafiqul Islam said the authority was carrying out various initiatives to ensure safe and quality food, including regular inspections of food businesses, mobile court operations, food sample testing and research.
He further said the authority was also placing emphasis on raising public awareness and had recently taken steps to enforce registration and licensing requirements for food businesses.
“Ensuring safe food for everyone across the country is not something the Food Safety Authority can achieve alone. It requires a collective effort involving multiple stakeholders,” he said, urging all concerned parties to support the initiative.
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