Ensuring the availability of vitamin-fortified, safe edible oil is essential for building a healthy, disease-free generation in Bangladesh, but the widespread marketing of loose edible oil in drums remains a significant barrier, experts said. They stressed the importance of fortifying edible oil with vitamins A and D and adopting quality packaging standards during a workshop titled "Vitamin Fortified Safe Edible Oil for All: Progress, Challenges, and Way Forward," held at the BIP Conference Room in Dhaka.
The event, jointly organized by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, was attended by 26 journalists from print, television, and online media, reads a press release.
Citing the National Micronutrient Survey 2011–12, experts revealed alarming deficiencies in essential vitamins among children. One in five preschool-aged children suffers from vitamin A deficiency, while two in five are deficient in vitamin D. Despite the Vitamin A Enrichment in Edible Oils Act, 2013, which mandates vitamin A fortification in edible oils, studies show that 65% of edible oil sold in the market is in bulk, with only 7% meeting the required standards.
Loose oil sold in drums made from non-food-grade materials poses severe health risks, including chemical contamination and adulteration. The lack of labeling and traceability in such oils further complicates enforcement of food safety laws.
Although the Ministry of Industries directed a ban on bulk soybean oil by July 2022 and bulk palm oil by December 2022, these measures have yet to be fully implemented, the workshop highlighted.
Speakers emphasized the need for coordinated efforts among the Ministry of Industries, BSTI, the Directorate of National Consumers’ Rights Protection, and the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) to address these challenges.
Vitamin A deficiency can lead to blindness and maternal mortality, while vitamin D deficiency causes rickets, bone density loss, and increases the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart ailments. Fortification of edible oils with vitamins A and D was identified as a cost-effective measure to combat these deficiencies.
Packaging standards were also discussed, with experts recommending the use of light-resistant, opaque materials to preserve vitamin A, which degrades when exposed to light.
Key speakers at the event included Fakir Muhammad Munawar Hossain, Director (Operation & Laboratory), Directorate of National Consumers’ Rights Protection; Mustak Hassan Md. Iftekhar, Consultant, National Heart Foundation; Abu Ahmed Shamim, Associate Scientist, James P Grant School of Public Health; and ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA. Presentations were delivered by Dr. Rina Rani Paul, Program Manager, LSFF Country Advocacy Bangladesh, and Md. Hasan Shahriar, Head of Programs, PROGGA.
