State Minister for Fisheries and Animal Resources Narayan Chandra Chanda on Tuesday said the government would enhance monitoring on poultry feed producing companies to check use of tannery wastes extremely harmful for public health.
“Initiatives would be taken soon to make compulsory the registration of poultry feed manufacturing organisations,” he said speaking at a discussion meeting at the National Press Club Conference Lounge in Dhaka.
Feed Industries Association Bangladesh (FIAB) organised the discussion where Bangladesh Agriculture University poultry science professor SD Chowdhury presented a keynote paper on “tannery wastes in poultry feed: ways and remedies.”
Presided over by FIAB president Mashiur Rahman, the meeting was also addressed by nutritionist Nazma Shamim and advocate Emdad Hossain, among others.
Narayan Chandra Chanda said the tannery wastes are supposed to be destroyed as the existing laws. But some unscrupulous businessmen are selling those to small traders, he said, adding that the unscrupulous business would be punished by strengthening the registration process.
Referring to a newspaper report of Tuesday on use of tannery wastes in poultry feed, the state minister said more extensive research is necessary to know how much tanner wastes are mixed with poultry feed.
He said the issue would be investigated soon following consultation with the environment ministry. If needed, laws would be amended to strengthen monitoring on poultry industry, he added.
SD Chowdhury said the use of tannery wastes in poultry feed is a serious health hazard.
Referring to World Health Organization (WHO) information, he said use of tannery wastes in poultry feed may cause diarrhoea, cancer, heart diseases, kidney problems among the consumers of chickens and eggs.
He recommended inference of law enforcement agencies to stop use of tannery wastes in poultry feed.
Mashiur Rahman said country’s 80 to 90% poultry feed is manufactured maintaining the standard in modern feed mills. Therefore, 80 to 90% chickens and eggs are safe, he added.
Source: Prothom Alo