DHAKA, Feb 10, 2019 (BSS)-The presence of lead, pesticides and several
other harmful chemicals were found in cow fodder, cow milk, packaged milk and
curd.
The government-run National Food Safety Laboratory (NFSL) today revealed
results of a survey at a programme at the Public Health Institute auditorium
in the city.
The (NFSL) and the United Nations jointly conducted the survey with the
financial support of the Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque was present at the
programme where NFSL received the accreditation card from the Netherlands
government, attaining the international standard.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Murad Hasan, Additional
Secretary (Public Health) Habibur Rahman, Director of the Institute Nirmal
Sen and representatives from the Netherlands were present at the function
with Director General (DG) of Directorate General of Health service (DGHS)
Professor Abul Klam Azad in the chair.
The survey was conducted on samples of cow fodder, cow milk, packaged
milk and curd, collected from 27 upazilas under four districts including
Dhaka.
According to the survey results, the cow fodder samples were found to be
contaminated with different harmful chemicals, such as pesticides, lead,
chromium, tetracycline, enrofloxacin, ciprocin, and aflatoxin.
Of the 96 samples of cow’s milk, nine percent of milk had pesticide, 13
percent had tetracycline, and 15 percent had lead, while 96 percent of the
milk samples had various microorganisms available.
In the 31 samples of all brands of packaged milk in the market, both
imported and locally produced, 30 per cent of the samples contained
tetracycline and one contained lead above permitted level while 66-80 per
cent of the samples were contaminated with microbiological impurities.
Besides, microbiological impurities were found in 51 per cent of curd
samples collected from sweets shops of different brands while one sample
contained lead above permitted level.