Call for proactive actions to ensure food safety

A national workshop was held in Dhaka recently to evaluate the initiatives needed to promote greater awareness and action to ensure food safety in Bangladesh.

The workshop entitled “Ensuring Food Safety in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector of the Country” was organised jointly by Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) and Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF) in collaboration with Department of Fisheries (DOF) with support from Katalyst.

Food Minister Advocate Qamrul Islam, MP, was the Chief Guest and Shubhashish Bose, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque, Chairman, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority were the Special Guests.

BSFF Chairman Syed Mahmudul Huq presided over the workshop.

The workshop discussed the existing and emerging food safety problems in Bangladesh with particular focus on fisheries and aquaculture sector and had a comprehensive round of the entire range of Bangladesh initiatives to ensure food safety, the role of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority in the area, the state of food safety in the fisheries and aquaculture sector as well as the role of the Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation in achieving the goal of food safety in its entirety taking into account interventions needed at each critical point of the value chain.

The workshop called for sustained actions in a wide range of areas for ensuring hygienic and safe fisheries products in Bangladesh.

An MoU was signed between BFSA and BSFF during the workshop.

Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque, Chairman, BFSA and Syed Mahmudul Huq, Chairman, BSFF signed the MoU on behalf of their respective entities.

-rmc//