We are Bengalis—known as “rice and fish eaters.” Unlike foreigners, boiled vegetables do not satisfy our hunger; to fill our stomachs, we need fish, rice, and several other side dishes. These days, food may fill our stomachs, but does it truly nourish our bodies?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 600 million people worldwide fall ill every year due to adulterated and contaminated food, and 442,000 of them die. Bangladesh is no exception. The former Director General of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, A.H.M. Shafikuzzaman, had openly admitted that there is hardly any product in Bangladesh’s food market that is not adulterated or fake. In other words, from the moment we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep at night, almost everything we consume contains some form of contamination or adulteration.
But the questions remain—what is food adulteration? Why is it done? Who does it? How much benefit do they gain and how much harm do we suffer? And how responsible are the grassroots farmers who produce these foods?
Food adulteration refers to adding unwanted substances to food, which reduces its natural quality, purity, or nutritional value and may even cause harm to human health.
Food is adulterated mainly for two reasons: excess profit and long-term preservation.
- Excess Profit: Some traders in our country deliberately mix different substances in food to increase their profit. Examples include mixing water or starch in milk, adding stones or sand to rice and wheat, mixing chalk powder or calcium carbonate in flour, or adding brick dust to chili powder. The main purpose is to increase quantity and maximize profit.
- Preservation: To feed the country’s 170 million population, raw food and vegetables are sometimes treated with chemicals even by government systems to keep them fresh for long periods. Without such preservation, the government would have to import food throughout the year, which would be very costly for the economy.
Although both farmers and traders are responsible for food adulteration, a closer analysis reveals a significant difference in the nature of their responsibility.
Farmers sometimes resort to adulteration mainly to increase production. Since the supply of food in Bangladesh is limited compared to demand, farmers often use chemicals to boost yield. Sometimes food quality is unintentionally harmed due to excessive pesticide use. Though farmers have some responsibility, it is limited.
But the responsibility of traders is undeniably much greater. Their adulteration is intentional, deceptive, and an economic crime. For long-term storage, artificial appeal, or to increase weight, they use toxic chemicals or prohibited substances only to maximize profit. For example, using formalin to keep fish fresh, or adding chemicals to improve the brightness and color of lentils. Such acts are mainly carried out by wholesalers and stockists. They do not think of the harm caused to the people; protecting their own profit is their only concern.
Therefore, the primary responsibility for food adulteration falls on these profit-hungry traders. Food adulteration is not only unethical—it is a crime.
Adulterated food causes serious harm to human health. Research shows that cancer, hepatitis, liver diseases, and lung infections are increasing due to consumption of contaminated food. Kidney disease has reached alarming levels—currently 16% of the population is affected, and 4.5 million people are at daily health risk due to adulterated food. If we do not want this number to rise further, strict action must be taken immediately.
The government has, however, enacted several laws related to food safety.
Food Safety Act, 2013: Under this act, producing or processing adulterated food, selling expired products, or marketing hazardous/fake foods are punishable offenses. The maximum penalty is 5 years of imprisonment or a fine up to 10 lakh taka. In case of repeat offenses, the punishment is doubled.
Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009: This act guarantees consumers’ rights. For selling expired food or false labeling, one may face up to 3 years imprisonment, or a fine up to 2 lakh taka, or both.
But despite such strict laws, food adulteration has not decreased—in fact, it has increased.
A 2023 report revealed that not only “three or four types of food products,” but many common everyday foods such as grains, milk, spices, oil, fish, and sweets are adulterated.
A recent (2025) health bulletin stated that 40–54% of food items in major cities, including Dhaka, contain harmful chemicals or unwanted substances.
In a 2020 seminar, it was mentioned that around 4.5 million people in Bangladesh are at risk daily from adulterated food.
The main reasons for rising food adulteration, despite strict laws, are the lack of proper monitoring and poor law enforcement.
Often, markets are not monitored properly, allowing adulterators to remain untouched. Even when monitoring happens, corrupt officials sometimes help traders escape punishment in exchange for bribes or illegal benefits. In this process, ordinary people suffer the most. Even with money, it is difficult to get pure food.
Therefore, to eliminate food adulteration, we must first ensure the appointment of honest and competent personnel in the administration, followed by strict implementation of the law.
