As formalin-treated fruits have flooded the markets, a Dhaka University teacher on Saturday suggested using a special chemical having strongest bad odour with the imported formalin to stop its use in food items.
Prof ABM Farroque of Pharmacy department came up with the proposal at a press conference at TSC on the university campus.
DU Pharmacy department and Jatiya Bhokta Samity (Consumers’ Association) jointly arranged the press meet. Pharmacy department chairman Sitesh Chandra, clinical pharmacy department Prof SM Abdur Rahman and Jatiya Bhokta Samity convener Eng Helaluddin were, among others, present.
With the bad smell, people will easily be able to detect the formalin-laced food items, Prof Farroque said adding, “It’ll also help discourage the traders from using formalin in food items.”
He said different educational institutions, hospitals, chemical factories and tanneries and plastic industries that mainly use formalin currently need less than 100 tonnes of formalin a year.
Mentioning that around 500 tonnes formalin are being imported to Bangladesh every year, Prof Farroque said about 400 tonnes of formalin are being used in different food items, including fruits, fish, milk and vegetables.
Underscoring the need for a strong market monitoring to check the use of the dangerous health hazard chemical in food items, he urged the government to engage a good number of members of police and magistrates in conducting anti-adulteration drive by mobile courts.
The teachers also put forwarded 10 recommendations, including stopping widespread sales and store of formalin, to check the abuse of the chemical.
Source: UNBConnect