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Food adulteration and SPA

4 August 2005, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By A.B.M. Shafiqur Agrabad, Chittagong
4 August 2005, 18:00 PM
. PHOTO: STAR
It is good to see that The Daily Star has published a series of reports on food adulteration over the last few days. The daily also published a timely editorial on July 24, 2005 about this. I hope this will bring consciousness among consumers but will certainly fail to change the attitude of criminals. The efforts will get its fruits if the authorities concerned bring the culprits to book. We are really frightened when we see some well-known brands and popular restaurants have also been found guilty. Recently, a mobile team led by a magistrate fined some big restaurants and food sellers up to taka hundred thousand. The editorial rightly commented that the penalty was negligible considering the huge profit (made by the sellers) and the gravity of crime and such punishment would not work as deterrent. On the other hand, it would induce them to return to their business.

This is a serious threat to public health and should be handled efficiently. The editorial viewed that the existing law is not effective enough to treat food adulteration as a criminal offence. This is not true. This is described as criminal offence and punishable under the Special Powers Act, 1974. Article 25C of the Act deals with penalty for adulteration or sale of adulterated foods, drinks, drugs or cosmetics Article 25C (1) states: "Whoever (a) adulterates any article of food or drink, so as to make such article noxious as food or drink, intending to sell such article as food or drink, or knowing it to be likely that the same will be sold as food or drink; or (b) sells, or offers or exposes for sale, as food or drink, any article which has been rendered or has become noxious, or is in a state unfit for food or drink, knowing or having reason to believe that the same is noxious as food or drink.....shall be punishable with death, or with transportation for life, or with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may be extended to fourteen years, and shall also be liable to fine."

Adulteration of food is a heinous crime. The future of the nation is at stake as public health is now on the verge of collapse because of this slow poisoning. Now top food caterers or sellers are in the list of guilty. The government can use this strong law to make criminal charges against them and eliminate the scourge fully. We call this act as "Black Law" because of its being frequently used to detain political rivals by the party in power. But it can have a better application!

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