BFSA to issue health certificates for food export

Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has started issuing "health certificates" to make it easy for exporters to ship food products and increase foreign currency earnings. 

The initiative was launched through the issuance of the certificates for two companies -- ESL Bangladesh and Trust and Trade ­­-- at an event organised by the Ministry of Food on the BFSA's office in Dhaka yesterday.

According to the BFSA, a decision was taken a few months ago by all the ministries that the Export Promotion Bureau would issue this health certificate as the bureau was temporarily carrying out the task.

Later, at an inter-ministerial meeting on September 6 it was decided that only the BFSA would issue this certificate.

Following consultations with businesspeople, a guideline has been prepared explaining how to apply for the certificate and what documents to provide, said Abdul Alim, member for Food Industry and Production of the BFSA.

One in 10 people in the world suffer from food-related illnesses every year and 420,000 people die

Food MinisterSadhan Chandra Majumder said now Bangladesh would provide the certificate based on international standards, enabling the world to know about the availability of safe food in the country and helping to further increase exports.

Ismiel Hossain, secretary to the ministry, stressed on building trust to issue health certificates recognisable universally and hoped that the BFSA would carry out their responsibilities properly.

The event informed that one in 10 people in the world suffer from food-related illnesses every year and 420,000 people die.

Moreover, one out of three children die of food-related illnesses.

In Southeast Asia, 150 million people are falling ill due to this and 175,000 die, of which 50,000 are children, it added.