CAB urges stronger food safety drives amid traders’ objections

The Chattogram divisional and metropolitan committees of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) have called for stronger market monitoring and food safety enforcement after complaints from some food and dessert traders about mobile court drives.

In a statement issued today (31 August), CAB said businesses should address irregularities identified during inspections instead of trying to halt enforcement campaigns, according to a press release.

The statement followed reports that some food and dessert traders complained to leaders of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry about alleged harassment by government agencies conducting mobile courts.

CAB said inspections by consumer rights, food safety, and standards authorities identified serious irregularities at food manufacturing facilities, hotels, restaurants, and shops.

The alleged violations included food adulteration, the use of substandard ingredients and chemicals, unhygienic production and storage practices and unsafe transportation and marketing of food products.

CAB warned that attempts to obstruct such inspections could seriously threaten public health. It urged business leaders to support improvements in food safety, nutrition, and hygiene standards.

CAB Central Committee Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain, Chattogram Divisional Committee General Secretary Kazi Iqbal Bahar Chhaberi, Metropolitan Committee President Jasmine Sultana Paru, General Secretary Ajay Mitra Shanku, Joint Secretary Md Selim Jahangir and Organising Secretary Jannatul Ferdous signed the statement.

CAB Youth Group Chattogram Metropolitan President Abu Hanif Noman was also among the signatories.

The consumer rights organisation said the century-old chamber had historically represented not only business interests but also the wider interests of people in the region.

It noted that business owners and their families were consumers themselves and could also face health risks from adulterated or substandard food. CAB urged chamber leaders to consider consumers' interests when responding to traders' complaints.

The statement cited a field inspection conducted by Chattogram's Safe Food Court on 20 June under Metropolitan Magistrate and Safe Food Court Judge Mohammad Mostafa.

According to CAB, the inspection identified several alleged violations, including plastic materials in food-processing areas, reuse of burnt oil, improper waste disposal, non-compliant packaging, and misleading information on labels.

It also cited unhygienic processing and storage of mango pulp, inadequate hygiene practices among food workers, insect infestation, production of substandard food, the use of newspapers as food-contact materials and the storage of expired products for sale.

CAB said consumers regularly faced adulteration, fraud, and unsafe food practices but often received inadequate protection because regulatory agencies enforced rules weakly.

The organisation called on government market-monitoring and food safety agencies to strengthen their activities to reduce foodborne illnesses and protect public health.