Bangladesh Food Safety Authority held a seminar titled Modern Food Safety System in Bangladesh at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka in the capital on Monday.
Food adviser Ali Imam Majumdar was present as chief guest while ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Shinichi Saida and Japan International Cooperation Agency chief representative Tomohide Ichiguchi were present as guests of honour at the seminar, said a press release.
Manjur Morshed Ahmed, director of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, presented the keynote address at the seminar, which was presided over by Md Masudul Hasan, food ministry secretary.
Ali Imam Majumdar said that to build a modern safe food system, skilled human resources were needed. 鈥楢t the same time, good quality food laboratories are needed.鈥�
He also said that there was a huge potential for food exports from Bangladesh and there was a global demand. 鈥楤ut we are not able to fully utilise this opportunity for food exports because we are not able to ensure safe food in all areas.鈥�
鈥業f we can ensure safe food and quality, our access to the international food market will increase and export earnings in the food and agriculture sector will increase many times over,鈥� he mentioned.
The adviser further mentioned that under the current interim government and with the sincere cooperation of the Japanese government, an initiative had been taken to construct a modern food safety laboratory building in Dhaka through a loan agreement, which would serve as the national reference laboratory of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority.
鈥業n addition to which an office building and a special training centre will be constructed to enhance the capacity of officials and food traders,鈥� he said.
鈥榃e are making efforts to strengthen food testing and judicial activities nationwide by constructing divisional food safety laboratories and office buildings in Chattogram and Khulna,鈥� he mentioned.
