Bangladesh bans marketing of imported milk powder
Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has slapped a ban on the marketing of the item stockpiled in godowns and waiting release of milk powder at ports without a test, reports UNB.
BFSA claimed that it had found a high concentration of lead in the imported milk powder.
It, however, has not taken any decision about recalling the milk powder already available in the market.
The BFSA sent a letter to the commissioners of all the customs houses across the country on Thursday to release the milk powder on the condition that the importers will keep those stockpiled only in godowns.
The copies of the letter were also sent to the National Board of Revenue, commerce secretary and BSTI as well as BFSA chairman Mohammad Mahfuzul Haque.
“The heavy metal (lead) found in the milk powder is a big threat to human body, especially that of children. The letter was issued to control it at the import level to ensure safe food for all,” the BFSA chief told UNB.
The milk powder is imported from abroad in bulk and those were marketed after being repacked following the release from ports.
About the milk powder consignments which have already released in the market, Mahfuzul said they are yet to take any decision in this regard.
He, however, said samples of all the consignments will be sent to Atomic Energy Centre, BCSIR and Institute of Public Health to detect the contamination of lead.
Sources at the BFSA said no milk powder can be marketed until the results of the tests are found. “Until then, the product will have to be kept at godowns and importers will have to give bonds to this end,” said a source.
BFSA member M Mahbub Kabir, also a joint secretary, said they could not yet complete the test of samples of all the milk powder brands available in the market. “However, the condition of those have already been examined is dangerous.”
“As most of the milk powder comes from abroad, we’ve taken steps to ensure that no powder enters the country without any test,” he said, adding that they will decide about the products already available in the market sitting with businessmen after the tests.
Acting on earlier instructions from local agent of French dairy giant Lactalis and BFSA, local distributors of the company’s baby milk formula are recalling units of the baby formula sold in Bangladesh market as a precaution against salmonella contamination.
According to a BFSA source, and JS International, the local agent of Lactalis, French health authorities concluded 620 batches of the company’s products had to be recalled and banned for consumption and export, equating to almost 7,000 tonnes of goods.
Fourteen importing countries, including Bangladesh, were alerted in this regard.
Lactalis believes the contamination happened at one of its drying towers in north-west France in early May last year. As a precaution, it decided to recall all the products manufactured at the site since 15 February 2017 and shut down the relevant facilities for cleaning and disinfection.
On being alerted by the International Network of Food Safety Authorities (INFOSAN), BFSA relayed the information to the Chittagong Port Authority, Customs and the National Revenue Board, one of the earliest agencies encountered by imported goods for tax purposes, and asked them to prevent milk formula produced by Lactalis under the brand names Baby Care-1, Baby Care-2, Baby Care-3, Baby Care MF, Milumel, Picot and Celia, from entering the country.
Salmonella symptoms include severe diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting. The illness - caused by intestinal bacteria from farm animals - is dangerous for the very young and elderly because of the risk of dehydration.