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478
Editorial

PureFoodOrdinance
Willtheamendmentsmeetpeople'sexpectations?
MAbdulLatifMondal

TheparliamentpassedBangladeshPureFood(Amendment)Bill,2005on
19September.Thelocalgovernment,ruraldevelopmentandco
operativesministerintroducedthebillinthehouseonSeptember13.The
billpassedbyparliamentbecomesanactofparliamentafterthepresident
assentstoit.

Inviewofwidespreadadulterationindifferentcategoriesoffoodnamely
cereals,starchytubers,vegetables,meatandfish,fruits,eggs,milkand
milkproducts,fatsandoils,andflavouringsandstimulantsintherecent
years,therehasbeenpersistentdemandfromthecivilsocietymembers,
themediaandtheconsumersassociationofBangladesh(CAB)for
enactingatoughlawtopreventadulterationofallvarietiesoffood.The
governmenthas,however,gonefortheamendmentsofcertainsections
andsubsectionsofthehalfcenturyoldpurefoodordinance(PFO),1959.
Inthestatementregardingobjectsandreasonsofthebillithasbeensaid
thattheprovisionsinthePFO,1959havenotprovidedforadequate
punishmenttotheadulteratorsoffood.Meanwhile,thedevelopmentof
newtechnologieshascontributedtotheproductionandmarketingof
qualityfoodontheonehand,andtheirmisapplicationincreasedthe
adulterationoffoodontheotherhand.Inordertohelpcombattherising
problemoffoodadulterationeffectively,amendmentstocertain
provisionsoftheordinanceandadditionofsomenewprovisionstoit
havebecomenecessary.

TheamendmentsandadditionsthathavebeenmadeinthePFO,1959
mainlyrelatetothefollowingareas.

Definitionoffood:ThedefinitionoffoodinthePFO,1959wasa
generaliseddescription.Theamendeddefinitionhasspecifiedindetailthe
namesofdifferentfooditemsthatwouldcomewithinthepurviewofthe
Act.

Specifyinglocalauthoritiestoconductdrivetocombatfoodadulteration:
Localauthoritiesempoweredtoconductdrivestocombatfood
adulterationhavebeenspecifiedintheamendments.Theseincludesix
citycorporations,paurashavas(municipalities)andsuchauthorityor
personinanyotherlocalareaasnotifiedbythegovernment.

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ConstitutionofaNationalFoodSafetyAdvisoryCouncil(NFSAC):
ProvisionhasbeenmadefortheconstitutionoftheNFSACheadedbythe
localgovernment,ruraldevelopmentandcooperativesministerand
consistingoftherepresentativesoftheministriesanddepartments
concernedandtherepresentativeofFBCCI.ThefunctionsoftheNFSAC
havebeendelineated.

Prohibitionofsaleoruseofpoisonousordangerouschemicals,
intoxicatedfoodcolour:Theuseofanypoisonousordangerouschemicals
oringredientsoradditivesorsubstancesinanyfoodhasbeenprohibited.
Theirsaleforuseinfoodhasalsobeenprohibited.

Establishmentofpurefoodcourtanditspowerandjurisdiction:Provision
hasbeenmadefortheestablishmentofoneormorepurefoodcourt(s)in
eachdistrictandeachmetropolitanarea.Eachcourtwillconsistofan
officervestedwiththepowersofafirstclassmagistrate,andhewill
awardpunishmentasprovidedinthebillpassedbyparliament.Anappeal
againstthejudgementofapurefoodcourtshalllietosessionsjudgeor
themetropolitanjudge.

Penalties:Theacthasrevised(a)minimumandmaximumfineor
imprisonmentorbothforafirstoffence,(b)minimumfineor
imprisonmentorbothforasecondorsubsequentoffenceand(c)
maximumfineandimprisonmentforasecondorsubsequentoffence.

Forinstance,forthefirsttimeoffenceformanufacturingorsellingof
adulteratedorstalefoodwhichisnotofpropernature,substanceor
qualitytheminimumandmaximumfineorimprisonmenthasbeenraised
toTkfivethousandandTkfiftythousandoraperiodofmaximumsix
monthsandthreeyearsrespectivelyfromearlierTktwohundredandTk
twothousandorthreemonthsandsixmonthsrespectively.Forthesecond
orsubsequentoffencesrelatingtoabove,theminimumfineorrigorous
imprisonmenthasbeenraisedtoTkfiftythousandoraperiodof
maximumthreeyearsfromearlierTktwothousandandsixmonths.The
maximumfineandimprisonmenthasbeenraisedtoTktwolacsandthree
yearsfromthepreviousTkfourthousandandrigorousimprisonmentfor
oneyear,respectively.ThemaximumpunishmentinthebillisTkthree
lacsandrigorousimprisonmentforthreeyearsforthesecondor
subsequentoffenceslikeresistingorobstructingentryintoanypremises
ofauthorisedpersonorinspector,resistingorobstructinginspection,
examinationorseizurebyauthorisedpersonorinspector.

ThePFO,1959contained49sections.BangladeshPureFood
(Amendment)Act,2005amendssomesectionsofthePFO,1959and
createsafewnewsections.Elaborationofdefinitionoffood,constitution
oftheNFSAC,specifyingthenamesofpoisonousordangerous
chemicals,ingredients,additivesorsubstancestheuseorsaleofwhich
hasbeenprohibitedandestablishmentofpurefoodcourtdeserve
appreciation.Butitisnotenough.Theprocessfollowedforthepassageof
thebillhascreatedmixedreactionsinsomequarters.Questionshavebeen
raisedwhethertherevisedprovisionforpunishingadulteratorsoffoodis
enoughornot?Manyhaveexpresseddoubtthatunlessimprovementsare
madeinotherareasconcerned,theamendments/additionsinthePFO,
1959,willnotbringthedesiredresults.

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Asstatedabove,thebillwasintroducedinthehouseonSeptember13.
Theparliamentarystandingcommitteeonlocalgovernment,rural
developmentandcooperativesministrywasgivenonlythreedaysto
scrutinisethebill.Itislearntthatamendmentssuggestedevenbythe
treasurybenchmembersinthecommitteewerenotaccepted.Further,
adulterationoffoodaffectspeopleatallstrataofthesociety.Enactment
oflawonthepurityoffoodisthusamatterofgeneralpublicinterest.But
thebillwasnotcirculatedforelicitingpublicopinion.Furthermore,some
peoplethinkthatthroughthehurriedpassageofthebilltherulingalliance
wantstomakesomepoliticalgain.Thegovernmenthasalreadystarted
trumpetingthepassageofthebill.

Manyhaveexpressedopinionthattheprovisionofthreeyears'jailanda
fineofTkthreelacsasmaximumpunishmentisnotenoughtocheckthe
menaceoffoodadulteration.Theyarguethatwhenaperson(s)convicted
ofmurderisawardeddeathsentence,thenwhythefoodadulterators,who
slowlypoisonhundredsofpeopletodeath,shouldnotbeawardedlife
termsentence.Aftertheintroductionofthebillinthehouse,organisations
likeSavetheEnvironmentandthePositiveBangladeshcamewiththe
demandforlifetermimprisonmentandafineofTkthreecroreas
maximumpunishmentfortheadulteratorsoffood(D/SSeptember18).
ThedailyProthomAloinitseditorialofSeptember21writesthat
BangladeshPureFood(Amendment)bill,2005passedintheparliament
prescribesafineofTkthreelacsandthreeyears'imprisonmentas
maximumpunishmentforadulterersoffood.Foroffenceslike
adulterationoffoodormanufactureorsaleoffoodwhichisnotofproper
standardorquality,thispunishmentisnotharshenoughWethink,
provisionforharshpunishmentwillhelpcombateffectivelythe
adulterationoffood.ThesurveyconductedbytheProthomAlofavours
enactmentofharshlaw.Mostofthevotersareofopinionthatthreeyears'
imprisonmentisnotenoughfortheoffenceoffoodadulteration.

Incorporatingprovisionsinthelawsuchasinvolvementoflocalbodiesin
theantiadulterationdrivethroughhavingtheirrepresentativesaspublic
analystsoffood,constitutionofNFSACandestablishmentofpurefood
courtwillnothelpsolvetheproblemofmanufactureandsaleof
adulteratedfoodunlessimprovementsaremadeinotherareasconcerned.
Ourlaboratoriesareillequippedbothintermsofequipmentandskilled
manpowertodealwiththisgiganticproblemoffoodadulteration.The
dailyProthomAlo(September22)hasreportedthatitsfieldlevelsurvey
ofBangladeshStandardsandTestingInstitute,BangladeshCouncilfor
ScientificandIndustrialResearch,InstituteofPublicHealthandDCC's
laboratoryhasrevealedthattheydonothavenecessaryequipmentand
trainedmanpowertodetectadulteration.

Mentionmaybemadethatthemostimportantareaofconcernistheuse
ofcoloursinfood.Naturalorvegetablecoloursaregenerallyconsidered
safe.Intheabsenceofnecessaryequipmentandskilledmanpower,these
laboratoriescannottestanddistinguishbetweenvegetablecoloursand
hazardousartificialandsyntheticcolours.TheDailyStarinitseditorialof
September24writes:"So,itisnecessarytostrikeattherootsofthe
problem.Thegovernmenthastothinkintermsofdevelopingareliable
systemdetectingadulterationandunhygienicpracticesatdifferentlevels

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offoodproduction.Themagnitudeoftheproblemcallsforaroundthe
yearvigil,insteadofseasonalcampaigns."

Toconclude,althoughtheamendments/additionsinthePFO,1959have
notfullymetpeople'sexpectations,yettheimplementationofthe
amendmentsandotherprovisionsofthelawcanhelpreducefood
adulterationtoaconsiderableextent.Further,ithastobeexamined
whethertheBangladeshPureFoodRules,1967madetocarryoutthe
purposesofthePFO,1959needanyamendment(s)inlinewiththe
aforesaidamendmentsinthePFO,1959.

MAbdulLatifMondalisaformerSecretary,MinistryofFood.

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