About fifty-eight per cent edible oils used at different hotels and restaurants in Rajshahi are harmful to human health, according to a report of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority published on Monday.
The national food safety regulatory agency prepared the report by testing foods and oils of 38 hotels and restaurants in the Rajshahi city area and in Puthia and Godagari upazilas in the agency鈥檚 Rajshahi mini laboratory in the past month.
According the analysis of the report, edible oils of 15 out of 22 hotels and restaurants in the city area, and seven out of sixteen hotels and restaurants in Puthia and Godagari upazilas contain excessive amount (above 24 per cent) of polar compounds, harmful substances that are formed due to reusing edible oils used in frying again and again.
Besides, the agency has found various harmful microorganisms by testing the chopping and serving tables of some of the hotels and restaurants.
鈥榃e have seized and destroyed the edible oils in which total polar compounds are found in excessive amounts,鈥� said Md Yeamin Hossain, food safety officer of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority Rajshahi office.
He said that the hotels and the restaurants were not fined but were asked to use fresh edible oils.
Professor Mahbubur Rahman Khan Badsha, head of Rajshahi Medical College鈥檚 medicine department, said that consuming food prepared with edible oils containing excessive amounts of polar compounds was very harmful to human health.
鈥楾hey can cause inflammation, resulting in ulcer and stomach cancer. Besides, it can cause liver and digestive problems as well as infecting kidney and gallbladder problems,鈥� he said.
Professor Mahbubur said that the government should increase awareness among the owners and staff members of the hotels and restaurants so that they did not reuse the same oil several times.
鈥楢long with raising awareness, the government should also bring those responsible for using unhygienic oils in cooking to book,鈥� he added.