HC asks why potassium bromate in bread shouldn't be banned
Court also asks why labeling “potassium bromate has not been used" should not be made mandatory on bread packaging.
The High Court today (10 August) issued a rule asking why the use of potassium bromate, a chemical used in bread production, should not be stopped and why a declaration stating that "potassium bromate has not been used" should not be made mandatory on bread packaging.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Asif Hasan passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed in the public interest, according to court sources.
Lawyer Sanjay Mondal appeared for the petitioner, assisted by lawyer Zahid Talukder.
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Following the hearing, Sanjay told the media that the court had issued the rule after hearing the petition seeking an order to stop the use of potassium bromate in bread.
The rule also asks why bread manufacturers should not be required to state on their packaging that potassium bromate was not used in the product's production.
The court also asked the authorities concerned and several major bread manufacturers to respond to the rule within four weeks.
The Food Secretary, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, Director General of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), Director General of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, president of the Bangladesh Auto Biscuit and Bread Manufacturing Association, and representatives of several major bread-producing companies have been asked to respond.
The Movement for Human Rights and Good Governance Foundation (MHRGF) filed the writ petition on 26 July, seeking an order to stop the use of potassium bromate in bread.
The petition also sought mandatory labelling on bread packages stating that potassium bromate had not been used in their production.
