Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said on Sunday the government is planning to set up food laboratories in eight divisions across the country for ensuring hygienic food in the market.
"In order to test the quality of food, the government has a plan to set up laboratories in all eight divisions," he said.
The minister came up with the announcement while inaugurating 'Food and Chemical Lab Expo 2022', which is the first of its kind, at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the capital.
An autonomous national food safety regulatory agency -- Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, organized the function.
In addition to this, eight mobile van laboratories also will be installed, he said, adding that a contract was signed with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to set up international standard testing labs.
Regarding quality food export, Majumder said, "We could not create our position in the global market. We need adequate laboratories to test our food quality and it will help us to bring authenticity in exporting food abroad," he added.
Calling the food processor and exporters to be conscious about hygienic food, Sadhan said Bangladesh could be a reliable source of food export when safe and nutritious food will be produced in the country.
To ensure safe food for people, Food Secretary M Ismail Hossain said, "We must ensure the testing facilities for all 165 million populations across the country."
Chaired by Abdul Qayum Sarker, Chairman of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, the programme was also attended, among others, by Deputy Chief of Mission US Embassy in Bangladesh Helen LaFave and Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Ziaul Hasan.
