Despite laws and regulations banning the sale of loose edible oil, the practice continues unabated in markets, significantly increasing the risk of health problems, including cancer.
Most of this oil is stored in drums originally used for marketing chemicals, which are not food-grade
Furthermore, transparent packaging allows light to penetrate, gradually destroying the micronutrients in the oil. So, the use of light-resistant opaque packaging is essential.
Experts emphasised that the sale of loose oil must be stopped and food regulatory agencies must enhance their monitoring capacity to ensure the use of opaque, food-grade packaging.
These observations were made at a roundtable discussion titled ‘Opaque Food-Grade Packaging for Preserving Vitamin A in Edible Oil and Health Protection.’
The National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh and Prothom Alo organised the event on Tuesday, at the Prothom Alo office in Dhaka's Karwan Bazar.
Kazi Emdadul Hoque, Director General of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), said that the concept of food-grade packaging must be presented to the public in an understandable way.
He noted that the entire nation pays the price for Vitamin A deficiency, adding that it is the responsibility of everyone from producers to consumers to keep the quality of edible oil intact.
Sebastin Rema, Director General (additional charge) of the Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection (DNCRP), remarked that many people wonder why Vitamin A needs to be in oil, which is why they do not object to buying loose oil from the market.
He stressed that there is no alternative to raising public awareness.
Sultan Alam, Joint Secretary (Planning) of the Ministry of Industries, stated that the initiative to fortify edible oil with Vitamin A has been largely successful.
However, he noted that there is room for further work on why this oil does not remain safe by the time it reaches the consumers and why oil is still being sold in the open market.
Professor Khondker Abdul Awal Rizvi, President of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, presided over the roundtable.
He observed that even educated people believe that clear oil in a transparent bottle signifies high quality.
He emphasised the need to increase awareness to change such perceptions and advised reducing oil consumption to prevent various diseases.
Mustak Hassan Md Iftekhar, the founding chairman of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority and former additional secretary, presented the keynote paper. He explained that transparent packaging cannot block light, leading to destroying Vitamin A and degrading the taste, aroma and quality of the oil.
He further noted that using non-food-grade drums causes monomers, heavy metals, phthalates, solvents, microplastics and carcinogenic compounds to mix with the oil. This results in cancer, hormonal issues and damage to the liver and kidneys, alongside significant economic and social losses.
Professor Mohammad Shoaib, a member of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), emphasised that proper packaging of edible oil must be ensured. He noted that if Vitamin A is not found in oil, the primary perpetrator must be identified.
Public health expert and former Chief Scientific Officer of IEDCR, Mushtaq Husain highlighted the various health risks, including cancer, caused by the repeated use of the same oil. He advocated for monitoring to ensure that Vitamin A levels in edible oil remain correct and do not pose a risk to anyone.
Professor Sohel Reza Choudhury, head of the Department of Epidemiology and Research at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, urged for changes in dietary habits, including reducing oil consumption, to prevent diseases. He also mentioned the importance of fortifying oil with Vitamin D.
Firoz Alam Suman, Joint Secretary General of the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association, said, the real state of the edible oil market could be understood by simply visiting Karwan Bazar.
He noted that one type of oil is being sold as another in open drums. He suggested that instead of fining restaurants, mill owners should be penalised.
Senior General Manager of Meghna Group, Kutubul Alam, said, "We are ready to bottle or package 100 per cent of our oil and have already purchased the machinery. However, this is not possible because there is no demand in the market."
Professor Rokeya Begum of the Food Technology and Nutrition Science Department at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University cited a survey conducted between 2019 and 2021, stating that awareness among people regarding whether Vitamin A is present in oil is low. She believes opaque packaging of oil is essential.
Md Najmus Sakib, Assistant Professor in the Nutrition and Food Engineering Department at Patuakhali Science and Technology University, said that temperature and light serve as major challenges in maintaining and preserving the quality of edible oil. He suggested that if loose oil is removed from the market, no further problems will remain.
Gulshan Ara, an associate scientist at ICDDR,B, cited a study showing that in more than 60 per cent of cases, packaged edible oil contained the required levels of Vitamin A. She noted that people in both villages and cities still buy loose oil because it is easily accessible.
Dr. Ashek Mahfuz, Portfolio Lead for Large Scale Food Fortification and Value Chain at GAIN, advised increasing public awareness and enhancing the monitoring of relevant government authorities to stop the sale of loose oil in the market.
Other participants in the discussion included former Director General of the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) Shahidur Rahman Faruquee, former President of the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) ASM Kamal Uddin, Food Fortification Consultant at TechnoServe Mehedi Hasan, Senior Vice President of BPGMEA KM Iqbal Hossain, Deputy Director (Halal Certification) of BSTI SM Abu Sayed and Organising Secretary of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Abul Kalam Azad.
The roundtable discussion was moderated by Firoz Choudhury, Assistant Editor at Prothom Alo.