Dhaka: Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Ministry Abdur Razzak on Wednesday said implementation of the Safe Food Act 2013 still remains a far reaching task due to the negligence of the authorities concerned.

He said this while addressing the ‘Safe Food Conference 2016, organised by Bangladesh Food Safety Network (BSFN) with support from Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), reported UNB.

Dr Razzak said the government had enacted the law as well as established an authority to ensure its implementation with an aim to remove the lack of coordination of different ministries concerned for ensuring food safety, but it is disappointing that the implementation is not taking place.

To give an example, he continued, the state-of-the-art food testing laboratory established under the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) remains idle, though the facility could be effectively used to detect food adulteration and protect public health.

The Safe Food Act 2013 came into effect on February 1, 2015 while the government has established the Bangladesh Food Safety Authorities (BFSA) to implement the law to fight food adulteration.

Speaking on the occasion, president of the Consumers Associations of Bangladesh Ghulam Rahman also expressed is disappointment over the lack of implementation of the Food Safety Act 2013 and urged all to raise voice against the food adulteration.

BFSN president Farida Akhter, its executive committee Ataur Rahman Milton and Mohibul Hoque also spoke on the occasion.