The government has taken a move to ensure food safety for the consumers by declaring selected hotels and restaurants 'safe food zone'.
To this end, the ministry of food (MoF) has formulated some guidelines to be followed by the hotel and restaurant owners in order to ensure food safety in their respective business establishments.
Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), which is under the food ministry, will look after the issue.
Initially, BFSA will carry out a survey on hotels and restaurants located at Motijheel, Purana Paltan and Dilkusha from today (Monday) to monitor the food safety issue.
"We will identify their (hotels/restaurants) problems regarding food safety. We will then give them time to improve their food safety standards," BFSA Chairman Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque told the FE.
He, however, said if any hotels/restaurants fail to follow the government directives, their business establishments will face closure.
Food Minister Md Qamrul Islam will inaugurate the survey today (Monday) at Hotel Kasturi at Purana Paltan in the capital.
"It will be a piloting initiative for us (BFSA). If we succeed in our initiative, we will expand our activities across the country," Mr Hoque said.
Ensuring food safety for the consumers has been a long pending and crucial issue.
The government has formed BFSA as per the Food Safety Act 2013 to ensure food safety for the consumers.
Food safety is considered a prerequisite to guarantee overall food security in the country by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and World Health Organisation.
Different ministries and agencies are involved in monitoring the food safety issue in the country.
Consumers often suffer due to food contamination in various eateries. Therefore, it is essential to put in regulatory efforts to ensure hygienic condition in hotels and restaurants.
Laws regarding food safety must be enforced strictly, sector insiders said.
