Government forms safe food authority and appoint a chairman to make it effective

This was made possible following a TIB’s study on food governance released last year with a host of recommendation that included forming the safe food authority.

A food safety law titled ‘Safe Food Act 2013’ came into effect on 1 February 2015; A five-member Safe Food Authority (SFA) was also provisioned in the new law. The ‘Bangladesh Safe Food Authority’ was formed on 4 February 2015 and a Chairman was appointed.

TIB believes those initiatives for setting food standards key would make a notable path to ensure good governance in food sector. TIB welcomed and thanked the government as well as the Ministry on 22 February 2015 and offered more technical support to the government. 

In the study “Ensuring Safe Food: Governance Challenges and Way Forward”, TIB drew attention of the authority about the absence of exemplary punishment for adulterators, legal loopholes,  

coordination gap among authorities, city centered monitoring and inadequate manpower which were hindering governance in food sector of Bangladesh.

To overcome the governance challenges and to ensure safe food, TIB placed sixteen point recommendations. Key recommendations include amendment of Safe Food Act 2013 and its quick implementation; introduce provision of taking legal actions by consumers, amendment of the Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009, and establishment of food courts at all districts and metropolitan cities.