“SCENERIO OF ADULTERATION

OF FOOD IN BANGLADESH- A
RINGING ALARM FOR HEALTH
SECURITY”
Dr.Muhammad Hezbullah
Associate Professor(Medicine)
Sylhet MAG Osmani medical college
 FOOD ADULTERATION

The deliberate contamination of

According to Codex Alimentarius
food material with prohibited,
Commission of WHO/FAO a food is
inferior or deleterious substance is
deemed to be adulterated if:-
called food adulteration.

M Shamsuddin, Food adulteration and public health issues in Bangladesh:The ninth annual scientific conference(ASCON-IX) ,CVASU,2012:1-22.
-- the food contains poisonous substance .

-- consists in whole or in part of any filthy , putrid or decomposed

substances.

-- prepared, packed or held under insanitary condition where it may become

contaminated.

-- container is composed of any deleterious substance which is injurious to

health.

-- mixed with other component of inferior quality.

-- Any of it’s component is replaced with other undesirable components.

-- Any nutritious component is removed.

MAGNITUDE OF FOOD ADULTERATION

Among 791 food samples collected

by DCC(south), 293 samples were
found adulterated(37%) in 2013.

♣DCC- Dhaka City Corporation

WHO AND IPH STUDY FINDINGS(2003)

96% 54% 59%

Mirza Farzana Iqbal Chowdhury,IOSR Journal of Humanities And Social Science:19(3):45-54

 FOOD ADULTERANTS IN BANGLADESH
Diverse and numerous.
--Pesticide residue in vegetables and fruits.
--Formalin to preserve fish, milk and fruits.
---- Antibiotic residue
Adulteration
--Non in poultry
ofpermitted
turmeric and products.
powder,chili powder,
artificial
--Calcium carbide and ethephon for artificial
--Use of banned
coriander powder andpesticides(DDT)
cumin powder.in dried
ripening.
sweeteners, coloring agents and
--fish.
Adulteration of jaggery and honey.
--Heavy metals
preservatives in rice ,poultry
in cooking and
storedoilofor
foodspoultry
--Various
--Use ways ofburnt
of recycling adulterations milk and,
lubricant
products.
sweetmeats
milk
for products
deep fry. likeand ice-cream
yogurts, etc.
ghee, condensed
--Urea use for puffed rice production.
milk etc.

M Shamsuddin, Food adulteration and public health issues in Bangladesh:The ninth annual scientific conference(ASCON-IX) ,CVASU,2012:1-22.
 ADULTERATION WITH FORMALIN
Tolerable daily Intake(TDI) of formaldehyde in
drinking
Formalinwater
is as
a set by WHO
solution madeis 900µg/L and
up of 37%
0.15mg/Kg/day
formaldehyde(CH in food.
2O) by weight , which is
USEPA – Reference
stabilized dose(RfD)
by the addition for chronic oral
of methanol.
exposure is 0.2 mg/Kg/day.
Shatabdi Goon et al. Fish marketing status with formalin treatment in Bangladesh,Online Journal of Social Sciences Research, March 2014;3(3):49-53.

Based on--Til et al. Two year drinking water study of formaldehyde in rats.Fd. Chem. Toxic 1989;27:77-87
Formaldehyde is an essential metabolic
intermediate of amino acid in mammalian
cells.

Format in urine
• Formaldehyde
CO2 expired

If not metabolized by “formaldehyde

dehydrogenase”, it can form cross-linkages
between proteins and single strand RNA.
S.Norliana et. al.American Journal of pharmacology and toxicology 4(3):98-106,2009.
• Foods known to contain natural formaldehyde:
Fruits and vegetables
Food type level(mg/Kg)
Apple 6.3- 22.3
Banana 16.3
Grape 22.4
Pear 38.7-60
Plum 11.2
Water-melon 9.2
Cabbage 5.3
Carrot 6.7-10
Cauliflower 26.9
Potato 19.5
Spinach 3.3-7.3
Tomato 5.7-13.3
Source: WHO and others
Meat and dairy products Sea foods and others
Food type Level(mg/Kg) Food type Level(mg/Kg)

Beef 4.6 Cod 4.6- 34

Sheep 8 Shrimp(raw) 1- 2.4

Squid 1.8
Poultry 2.5-5.7
Fish ball 6.8
Processed meat ≤ 20.7
product Crustacean 1- 98
Goat’s milk 1
Bombay-duck ≤ 140
Cow’s milk ≤ 3.3
Alcoholic beverage .02-3.8

Cheese ≤ 3.3 Soft drinks 8.7

Pig 5.8-20 Instant coffee 10-16

Source: WHO and others

 FISH ADULTERATION WITH FORMALIN
First identified in 2006.
Study year Study place Samples positive for Fishes found
formalin positve

.
2009 Dhaka city 50/800 (6.25%) Rui, Katla, Shrimp,
Kachki and Mrigal.
Emdadul H, Mohsin ABM. J Fish Int,
2009;4(3):52-54.

2010 Dhaka city 42/100 (42%) Rui(70%), Katla

(50%), Hilsha(50%),
Riaz U et. al. Stamford J Pharma Mrigal(40%).
SCI,2011;4(1):49-52.

2012 Sylhet 26/150 (17.3%) Rui, Shrimp, Katla.

Rahman MM et al. Bangladesh Res

Pub J, 2012;7(2):161-169.

2011-2014 Mymensingh 50%, 31.57%, Big carp, Small

18.42% indigenous fish,
BFRI Project Shrimp.
 Water used for ice preparation is also
formalin contaminated.

BFRI- Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute

• HOW TO IDENTIFY FORMALIN TREATED FISH:
Yasmin et. al.Journal of Agriculture and food sciences, june 2013;1(6):118-122

Normal ice stored fish Formalin treated fish

Bright, shining appearance Slight loss of brightness

Soft- firm and elastic Slightly hard and rubbery

Odor of neck and gills- natural Loss of natural odor

Gills are pinkish Gills are slightly blackish

Eyes are superficial Eyes become inserted inside.

Flies around fish No flies around fish.

• Retention of formalin level
(BFRI study 2011-2014)

Formalin in fish Retention of formalin in water

Concentration 5% 3% 1% 0.5%

Initial (ppm) 1.56 1.13 0.56 0.23

In open air (2h) 0.9 0.8 0.3 0.06

In water (1hr) 0.5 0.24 0.21 0.02

In water (2 hr) 0.18 0.14 0.13 0.00

ADULTERATION OF MILK WITH FORMALIN
Study finding of T. Chanda
Adulterants Percentage

Formalin 10%

Water 100%

Cane sugar 26%

Powder milk 14%

Starch 12%

Sodium bicarbonate 20%

 BLRI(2011-2014) study findings
Adulterants Percentage

Formalin 6.67%-64%. In vendors milk . But brand

milks were free from formalin

Pond water 40-74% of vendors milk

Cane sugar 6.67- 25% in vendors milk and 25% in

brand milk

Hydrogen peroxide 10%-18.75% of vendors milk.

 Heat Stability of Formalin in Milk
Items Quantity Before heating After heating
quantity of (5-10 mins)
Formalin (ppm) quantity of
formalin (ppm)
Milk + Formalin (300ml+ 0.25%) 10 ppm None

Milk+ Formalin (300ml+ 0.5%) 20 ppm None

Distilled Water+ Formalin (300ml+ 0.25%) 10 ppm None

Distilled Water+ Formalin (300ml+ 0.5%) 20 ppm None

Tested by : “EM Quant

Formaldehyde Test Kit/made by
Germany”

*BCSIR Kit unable to quantify the presence

of formalin in milk before and after heating
and unable to detect the presence of
formalin immediately
Adulteration of fruits with formalin:
A study titled “Prevalence of formalin in
seasonal
In July 2014,fruits in markets
Dhaka of Dhaka”
Metropolitan Police
conducted
destroyed 12500 by mounds
Paribesh
of mangoesBachao
and
Andolon(POBA)
25 lakhs litchisin after
2011 found existence
finding of
formalin
formalin
positive. in 93.75% of mango and 100% of
litchi and blackberry.

Daily Star,June 11,2013

 But inZ-300
IPH meter they used for formalin
BARI in their study(june 2011-junetested
2014 found all fruits samples 2014)in
detection
their is
laboratorylater proved to be faulty and
did not found contain
formalin formaldehyde below
in fruits samples
they did not take
recommended into account the natural
range.
above reference range.
content of formalin in fruits.
Md.Monirul Islam,Coordinated SPGR Sub-Project on contaminants and adulterants in food chain and their mitigation, June 2014 :Page-8 .

• BARI- Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute

• IPH- Institute of Public Health
• Methods of determination of formalin
Qualitative tests:
--Formalin detection kit(BCSIR)
--EM Quant® tests:
Quantative Formaldehyde test kit .
--Chemical test with sulphuric
-- Spectrophotometrically withacid
Nashfor milk.
Semiquantative
reagent(BFRI). tests:
----ZDL-300 formaldehyde
-- HPLC(High performance hand-held
liquid data
logging meter(now (IPH,
chromatography) not approved)
Mohakhali).

Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research--BCSIR

Z-300 meter BCSIR kit
HPLC Machine Spectrophotometer
• Health effect of formalin/formaldehyde:
♠Epidemiological evidence of
♠Based on experimental
nasopharyngeal cancer inanimal
human studies and
exposure
by♠Increase
limited
♠Classifiedevidence
inhalation> of human
a2ppm.
as incidence
potential ofcarcinogenicity.
human tumors of the
carcinogen.
In
♠It animal
♠Currently
is studies,
genotoxic asfetal
it occurrence
causes of
structural
♠Identified as there
hematopoietic is carcinogen
classsystem
2A no were
definite by evidence
reported
US EPA by
missing
chromosomal sternebra and delayed
aberrations, ossification
sister-chromatid
and as class 1 by international carcinogenic
indicating
Soffritti that
et formaldehyde
al.(1989) when is administered
agency for
of thoracic
exchanges,
when vertebra
gene
orallyadministered
atonhigh were
mutation,
doseorally increased
DNA
in animal.
in rats. .
strand break
research cancer(IARC).
and DNA-protein cross links etc.

S.Norliana et. al.American Journal of pharmacology and toxicology 4(3):98-106,2009.

Fernando Aguilar et al.The EFSA Journal 2006;415:1-10
Soffritti et al. Results of long term experimental studies on the carcinogenecity of formaldehyde and acetyldehyde in rats.Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 2002;
982:87-105.
 ARTIFICIAL RIPENING AND HAZARDS
CALCIUM CARBIDE(CaC2):
It is colourless when pure but industrial
When CaC
grade comesisingreyish contact white with moisture because itit
2
produce traces
contains acetylene gas which
of arsenic and is analogue to
phosphorus.
natural ripening agent ethylene.
Ashraf-ur-Rahman et al.Artificial Ripening:What we are eating,J Medicine 2008;9:42-44.

CaC2 + 2 H2O = Ca(OH)2 + C2H2

Ashraf-ur-Rahman et al.Artificial Ripening:What we are eating,J Medicine 2008;9:42-44
• Quality of carbide ripened fruits:
Fruits ripened by calcium carbide have a
good skin color with high acidity and low
sugar content but poorly developed flavor.
Parameters CaC2 ripened fruits Naturally ripened fruits
Weight per fruit Fair Good
Texture Not very attractive but Attractive but not
uniformly colored uniformly colored
Aroma Fair Good
Firmness Overly soft Fair
Taste In-core sour(unripe), Sweet, pleasant
mildly pleasant
Self-life Shorter, black blotches Longer
appear on the skin in 2-3
days

Mahmood T et al. European Academic Research 2013;1(5):685-700

 Health Hazards:
♣Acetylene gas affects the neurological
♣Early symptoms
system resulting in: of Arsenic and
♣CaC
Phosphorus
has poisoning
carcinogenic include-
properties
-- headache, dizziness, seizure
2 Vomiting,
also.
diarrhea, burning in chest and
--mood disturbance, mental confusion, abdomen,
thirst, difficulty in swallowing
--memory loss and cerebral edema. and speech,
numbness in limbs and low blood pressure.

Ashraf-ur-rahman et al. J Medicine 2008;9:42-44

• Precautions to be taken by the consumers:

♠Wash thoroughly in running tap water.

♠Peel out the skin of fruits.
♠It is better to cut the fruits into pieces.
♠Try to buy mature fruits directly from
growers and to ripen it at home in warm
temperature in contact with ripe one.

SA Fattah, MY Ali. Faridpur Medical Coll. J 2010;5(2):37

 Ethephon/Ethrel
Commercial Name of Ethephon

Ripen-15, Riser, Ethrel, Harvest,

Promot, Totom, Eden, Profit,
Prolong, Gold plus, Remote,
Garden, Amote, Action

2 cholro ethyl phosphonic acid

• Ethephon as ripening agents:

It has been shown that left over residue of

ItItcan
is bewidely
appliedused
safelyin@ our
750-1000
country
ppmand
for
ethephon in fruits remain below FAO/WHO
ripening
worldwide of above
for faster
fruits.(ADI-0.05ppm/kg
ripening of mango,
recommended MRL(Maximum residual limit) of
body
banana,
wt). pineapple, papaya and tomato.
2 ppm after 6 days of application if
recommended dose is used.

BARI project- June 2011-June 2014

 SEVEN DAYS AFTER ETHEPHON SPRAY

T1 (0ppm) T2 (250ppm) T3 (500ppm)

T (750ppm) T (1000ppm) T (10000ppm)

SIX DAYS AFTER ETHEPHON SPRAY
HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION OF FOODS

StudybybyBLRI(2011-2014)
Study BRRI(2011-2013) showed
showed thatthat
“Cr”
Analysis
Only
industrial of
one field“commercial
sample cattle
from (8/86)
samples industrialand
and poultry
field
market in
content
This
feed” was
is
in a higher(.53-.96)
emerging
above study in
concern
showed all
for milk
foodsamples
presence safety
Narayanganj
samples(21/76) had
of rice high
and levelbasedof
rice
of“As”
brand
of and local
Bangladeshi
and “Cr” in milk samples
peoples.
some samples. compared to
“lead”(>0.25mg/416.01).
products were highly contaminated with
IAEA.
“Cadmium”.(>0.07 mg/416.01 gm)

BARI- Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute

BRRI-Bangladesh Rice Research Institute
BLRI- Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute
HEALTH EFFECT OF HEAVY METALS
Toxic
♣
♣Severe effect
Chromium of(VI)
anemia leadmay due causeto occupational
erythropoietin
Toxic effect of Cadmium: (TWI>7µgm/Kg)
(EPA – 15 parts per billion (ppb) in drinking water, 0.15
asthma
Toxic
suppression.
♣Fanconi’s
micrograms perin
effect sensitized
ofmeter
cubic Chromium:
anaemia individuals.
in air) due to effect on renal
♣Chromium
(RfD for chromium (VI) is 0.003
♣tubule.
Male infertility due mg/kg/d & for
(VI) chromium (III) is 1.5 mg/kg/d)
compounds
to damage to blood-testisare
♣ EPA has determined
Chromium VI is more that leadthan
toxic is a chromium
probable III.
carcinogenic todue
barrier.
♣Osteomalacia humans.
human
The carcinogen.
respiratory tract is to the vit-D
primary metabolism
target organ
♣USEPA
impairement.
♣ Exposure considers
to high lead Cd
levels tocanbe a Class
severely damage B1
for inhaled chromium.
carcinogen.
♣May
the brain induce Pancreatic,
and kidneysHTNand and lung
DM , cause
ultimately breast
due cancer
death.
to toxic
Suparna kumar Das et al. A brief review: Heavy metals and their analysis, International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research 2011;11(1):13-18.

♣In pregnant
and
impact NHL onwas gene found to be associated.
women--miscarriage.
transcript.
Robin A . Bernhoft, Cadmium Toxicity and Treatment, The Scientific World Journal;
Volume 2013 (2013), Article ID 394652, 7 pages
Suparna kumar Das et al. A brief review: Heavy metals and their analysis, International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research
2011;11(1):13-18.
• PESTICIDE RESIDUE CONTAMINATION OF FOOD
IPH laboratory finding of 2014
Sample Name No. of positive samples Pesticide detected
Milk 05 Aldrin
Milk based soft drinks 01 Methyl Parathion
Mango based soft 01 Methyl Parathion
drinks
Dry fish 08 DDT, DDE, Endrin,
Heptachlor, Delta BHC
Banana 02 Aldrin
Apple 03 Alpha chordane
Carrot 02 DDD
Bean 01 Beta BHC
Dhania pata 01 DDT
Mango, 05 Ethion
pineapple,tomatto
Tomato souch 01 Heptachlor
Another
BLRI study(2011-2014)
BARI study
studyin Chittagong
(2011-2014)foundshowed
showed that
among all
BRRI
samples
120 study
presence (2011-2013)
of of
vegetablesixDDTspecies found
in dried
samples of 20
dry
marine
fish were
fish
contained
“Carbofuran”
positive
samples for in
collected
DDT 2 samples
and
from of milled
Heptachlor
Cox’s
detectable residue (Quinalphos above rice.
Bazar,
with
concentration
Kuakata and Dubla.
MRL). higher in rainy season than
winter. Bhuiyan et al. African Journal of Enviromental Science and Technology 2009;3 (11):405-411
 Dry Fish Industry

Soaked with Sobricon

Soaked With Chilly &
Turmeric powder

Soaked With Chilly & Turmeric

powder

“Wash Fish, Fruits & Vegetables

Properly Before Cooking & Eating” Sobricon
BLRI also showed that broiler meat and
egg showed presence of antibiotic
residue of Ciprofloxacin, Sulfonamide,
Oxytetracycline and Enrofloxacin in high
level.
• Health effects of insecticide/pesticide residue
Name of Pesticide Group/Classs Toxic effects(chronic)

DDT Organochloro Liver and pancreatic cancer. Reduced fertility in

compound male and female.
EPA has categorized DDT as a B2 carcinogen .
Source: WHO

Heptachlor Organochloro Dizziness, tremor, convulsion. EPA has

compound categorized it as a B2 carcinogen. Leukaemia
and neuroblastoma are documented.

Parathion Organophosphate ↓RBC cholinesterase activity, nausea, and

headaches. Methyl parathion-human birth
defects. No human data for carcinogenecity.

Aldrine Organochloro Based on studies in animals, the EPA has

compound determined that aldrin and dieldrin are
/Dieldrin probable human carcinogens mostly breast
cancer.
• ADULTERATION IN PROCESSED FOOD

♣“Mango juices” were found to contain

Innon
study by BAU
permitted (2011 -sweeteners”
“artificial 2013) they found
1.96-
Turmeric,
“Tomato Chili,ketchup”Cuminwere and found
Coriander
to
that “fruit
2.44%. jams and jellies” were found to
powder
adulterated
were with
found starchy
to have material
high moisture,
and
contain
♣“Orange non-permitted
squash” “artificial sweeteners”
total
coliform
bacterial
count were contained
count and total harmful
high. food
ash(indicate
incolor
5.03-5.40%
“Sudanand high sodium
Orange-2” benzaote
which .
adulteration with sand/saw dust/brick dust).is
carcinogenic.

Source: Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council(BARC)

 Legal Framework of food safety
Abu Noman,,Food safety and public health issues in Bangladesh: a regulatory, European food and feed law review 2013; 8(1) :31-
40.

Law year
Penal Code 1860
Control of Essential Commodities Act 1956
Food Act 1956
Pure Food Ordinance 1959
Pesticide Ordinance 1971
Special Power Act 1974
Fish and Fish Products Ordinance 1983
The Breast Milk Substitutes Ordinance 1984
Bangladesh Standards and Testing 1985
Institute(BSTI) Ordinance
Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Act 1989
Vokta Odhikar Songrokkhon Ain 2009
Stanio Sarkar Ain 2009
Mobile Court Ain 2009
Safe Food Act 2013
Formalin use restriction law 2014(life imprisonment and 20 lack tk fine)
ACTIVITIES OF MOBILE COURT
 • Regulatory framework of food safety
MOI BSTI

National Consumer
MOC Rights Protection Council
Directorate of National
MOHFW Consumer Rights Protection

DGHS
MOLGRD
PARLIAMENT
National Food Safety
Advisory Council
MOA
City corporations
MOFL

Bangladesh Police
MOHA

Executive
MOE Magistrates
Abu Noman,,Food safety and public health issues in Bangladesh: a regulatory, European food and feed law review 2013; 8(1) :31-40.
 RECOMMENDATIONS
“Bangladesh
More mobile
Training and Food
court
awarenessSafetyshould
should Authority(BFSA)”
be put be in action.
given to
Awareness
Laboratory
Manpower and
should education
facilities
be forshould
increased be
detection
in given
of
institutes
outlined
Food
Strong
all court
level in “Safe
should
regulation
of personsfoodbe
on Act,2013”
established
import
involved in should
and in beof
every
use
production,
toadulterants
and public about in
organizations how
foods tolike
detect
should and avoid
BSTI, made
City
put
Thana.
formalin,in
transport action
Prevailing
carbide
, storage as laws
and
andearly as
should
pesticide
marketing possible
be applied
should
of food to
be
on
adulterated
available inthe
corporations. food.
More Theythanas
and should
all activities morewithbe informed
properly
vigilance of
coordinate
strongly
applied.
how to against
avoid culprits.
adulteration of
and on different
effect of
about ill
equipped
market effect
should of
manpower adulterated
be done. and food
machine. their
ministries involved.
adulteration on themselves also.
health.