A B Ziauddin Hossain, Ctg: Dhaka, Sept-22,

Spices are one of the most used ingredients in Bengali cuisine. In our country turmeric, chili, coriander, cumin etc. are used a lot as spices. Some manufacturers sell these spices maintaining proper quality along with packaging with permission of BSTI.

On the contrarily some manufacturers don’t care the quality compliance according to BSTI. They produce adulterated spices that sold in the open market. The buyers of these are low-income people in cities and villages.

It is known to all concerned that these adulterated spices are made by mixing different grass seeds, rice and pulses powder, rice husk color etc.. The big buyers of these adulterated spices are the various grocery shops of different periphery markets of the Chittagong district and various hotels and restaurants in the city. These spices are also used in the social hosts of Chittagong. Low-income people are helpless to use these spices.

BSTI's anti-adulteration campaign has found this horrible image of making and selling adulterated spices. It has been seen that there are factories for making such spices in Asadganj, Chaktai, Khatunganj and Rajakhali of the city of Chattogram. Spices powder from these factories reach various areas of Chittagong in the hands of retail and wholesalers.

 Recently, in the anti-adulteration campaign of consumer rights, the issue of adulteration of spices was caught in the red handed. Some of the factories set up here are producing adulterated spices including turmeric, coriander and cumin. In these factories, the process of making adulterated powdered spices by mixing color with grass seeds is caught in hand. It can be seen that grass seeds or kaun which are used as bird food are the main ingredients of adulterated spices. Grass seed powder is mixed with harmful dyes.

Adulterated chili made by mixing huge grass seed powder and red color with some real chili powder. In the same way other adulterated spices are made. At the same time some rotten crackers of spice are dried and mix with it so that the spice powder becomes lightly original spice for making fool the buyers. And if some real turmeric powder is mixed with fake turmeric powder, no one can identify it as adulterated spice.

A person directly involved in an adulterated factory in Khatunganj said on condition of anonymity that some of them have been making adulterated spice powder in this process for 15 years. Color mixing is done late at night. Most of the adulterated powder spices made from here are sold in Swandhip, Hatia, Maheshkhali and Hilly districts. Outside dishonest businessmen come and order adulterated spices in the hope of making more profit. The original chilli powder is 300 tk per kg but the adulterated spice powder is 130 tk per kg.

About another factory, the pseudo name   Mostak said, his father had taught him how to make this adulterated spice. Now he does all these things with his own staff. His  father worked as a salesman. Another spice trader said that the color that is mixed in the powder spice is the color of dyeing cloth. These colors are available at tk 300 per kg on Loyal Road in the city. But the color that is used as a food supplement costs 5 000 tk per kg.

Mr. Nur Mohammed, Asstt. Director of BSTI said that the mandatory consumer items like food that need to be prepared or produced and marketed must be approved by the BSTI. He said, if they get any specific complain against adulterated factory, they conduct raid immediately with cooperation of district administration. He also added that if we get an appointed Magistrate for Chattagram BSTI office like Dhaka BSTI office,we can operate more raid against adulterated consumer products including food items.

It has been learned that even though these fake traders were caught in the operation, they were released on bail with fines and got involved in the same activities again.

Experts say that the color of the fabric is extremely harmful to the body. It contains carcinogens. The oxidative texture of these textiles first causes acidity. Continued use of these adulterated spices can lead to hepatitis, cancer, and kidney damage.

 To stop manufacturing adulterated foods items, conscious citizens claiming capital punishment for such manufacturers. Otherwise prone to death of the mass people will be increased .They added that to be uprooted health damaging factors properly so that everybody’s sound health might be ensured. Adulterated food items one of the main reasons to compel the people to take medication everyday that increase family living cost.

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