Bangladesh’s Food Safety Crisis

Amar shontan jeno thake dudhe-bhate’ (may my children always have plenty of milk and rice) is a line from a poem by medieval Bengali poet Bharatchandra Ray Gunakor, in which a person expresses a heartfelt prayer for the next generation to always have enough to eat and live in prosperity. But today, can we promise our next generation safe food? This is indeed a troubling question facing us now. We are living in an age when nearly invisible pollutants are finding their way into our food. Plastic that once represented convenience and development is now breaking down and infiltrating rivers, farmland and oceans, eventually making its way into the food chain. Microplastics have been found in food and consumer products such as fish, rice, salt and toothpaste. Their presence alone does not necessarily indicate a risk to human health, but it raises serious questions that must not be overlooked.

The Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) conducted a recent study that revealed the presence of microplastics in toothpaste sold in Bangladesh. Microplastics were found in 76.5 per cent of the samples, including some children’s toothpaste, from a level of 20 to 320 particles per 100 grams. The results are important since toothpaste is used on a daily basis, sometimes as early as childhood. Microplastics, plastic particles less than 5 millimetres in size, can be produced when larger plastic items break down, or be a part of the manufacturing of some products, and once released can move through water, soil and food systems.
The situation is rather worse in Bangladesh’s fisheries sector. A recent study was conducted at 25 fish-farming ponds in Trishal, Mymensingh, and published in the journal Environmental Pollution. Microplastics were detected in the sediment in all ponds, and 90 particles were retrieved from 150 fish of six species. Silver barb (Sarpunti) had the highest average count, followed by Rui and Mrigal. Polyethylene and polypropylene were the most commonly found types of pollutants. The possible sources included fish feed, packaging and fishing gears and surrounding waste, but no single source was identified in this study. Its results also indicate that more research is needed on aquaculture contamination and not to automatically consider all farmed fish as having an equal risk.

It is not just fish; other basic foods are also in question. Rice is also an integral part of Bengali life and is a topic of scientific research which can include the possible presence of microplastic contamination in this core food product. The same applies to the studies of milk and other dairy products that show the need for increased oversight along the supply chain. These worries should not be interpreted as panic but rather as an impetus for improving the evidence and safeguards.

What we see on a plate today is as important as what we may be exposed to over many years. Research into the potential impacts of microplastics and the chemicals used to make them when ingested by humans is ongoing. Biological effects, such as inflammation, are being investigated, and the severity of the damage from the general diet has yet to be resolved. Uncertainty should lead to a greater commitment to research and action to minimise avoidable pollution, not to the presentation of unsubstantiated results as fact.
The problem is not just about the lab for Bangladesh. The mother who's cooking is providing love, memory and protection. When a father purchases milk, he is investing in a better and healthier future for his child. Thus, food safety is not only a technical matter of regulation but also a public responsibility.

The distribution of micro-plastics is also indicative of a general plastic-use and disposal problem. Plastic waste enters the environment due to single-use packaging, uncontrolled dumping, lack of waste collection and recycling. In a heavily populated nation, where packaged products are increasingly gaining ground, convenience cannot be the only indicator of progress.

Here are a few things consumers can do: Avoid unnecessary disposable plastics, use reusable things where possible, and dispose of waste responsibly. But households are not the sole burden bearers. Manufacturers need to do more to enhance quality control and minimise unnecessary plastic pollution. There is a need for greater monitoring and transparent testing and evidence-based standards where scientifically justified for government agencies. Independent researchers need to be supported to identify pathways of exposure and to identify what interventions are effective.

After the toothpaste discovery, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) announced that it is going to test the items independently and examine the evidence. While this is a welcome response it is not sufficient to have a one-off investigation. Regular surveillance, clear communication and consistent enforcement of the law is a critical element in keeping public confidence.

Bangladesh has successfully dealt with large public health issues in the past. Addressing plastic contamination will also demand concerted action and coordination within the regulatory framework, industry, scientific community, local governments and citizens. Improved waste management, safer packaging and cleaner production are investments in public health as well as in protecting the environment.

“Amar shontan jeno thake dudhe-bhate” never meant luxury. It was a child’s hope to have food -- food that is safe. “Mache-bhate Bangali” is a spirit that needs to be preserved, and protecting the rivers, farms and food systems that sustain us are key to that preservation. It is no longer just a matter of whether or not micro plastics are present, but how we can stop their proliferation and how they can affect us if we become accustomed to them.
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The writer is Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Rajshahi. He can be reached at [email protected]