Dhaka, – The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), today marked a major step towards harmonisation with the international ‘food code’.

Development of food standards in Bangladesh has been making good progress over the past several years. A workshop held today was a milestone on that journey, as the country moves further towards international standards.

International food trade has existed for thousands of years but until not too long ago, food was mainly produced, sold, and consumed locally. Over the last century, the amount of food traded internationally has grown exponentially, and a quantity and variety of food never before possible travels the globe daily. In fact, international food trade is a USD 2 000 billion a year industry.

Food safety is not only important for Bangladesh’s food and nutrition security but also critical for the country’s ambition to increase food exports. It was recognised some time ago that it was necessary to upgrade Bangladesh’s food standards and bring them up to par with international standards. Food safety is now an established priority for Bangladesh.

What is Codex?

Consumers need to be able to trust the safety and quality of the food they buy, and importers need to trust that the food they order will be in accordance with their specifications. The Codex Alimentarius, or ‘Food Code’ is a collection of standards, guidelines, and codes of practice adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The commission is the central part of the Food Standards Programme which was established by FAO and World Health Organization to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food trade.

Codex standards ensure that food is safe and can be traded. Codex standards also facilitate international trade through the removal of non-tariff barriers caused by differing national food standards and ensure fair practices in the food trade. This year marks the 60th anniversary of Codex.

FAO Representative Robert D. Simpson said: “Bangladesh’s food is becoming more international: not only is Bangladesh producing more food, but it is also exporting and importing more food. This is why harmonization with international standards is so important. With support from FAO, Bangladesh is now well on its way to harmonizing with Codex standards and in doing so, the country is laying the foundations to establish itself a trusted supplier of quality, safe food.”

Cabinet Secretary, Md. Mahbub Hossain, was chief guest at the event which was held at the InterContinental hotel in Dhaka. Special guests were Wahida Akter, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture; and Md. Ismiel Hossain, Secretary, Ministry of Food. The event was chaired by Md. Abdul Kayowm Sarker, Chairman, BFSA. Former Chairperson of Codex Alimentarius and FAO international food safety expert Sanjay Dave gave a keynote address on the significance of aligning food safety and quality regulations with Codex. Maurizio Cian, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, gave a speech.

Through its Meeting the Undernutrition Challenge (MUCH) project, which is co-funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the European Union, FAO has been assisting Bangladesh to modernise its food control system and accelerate the implementation of internationally accepted food standards and best practices.

Since its creation ten years ago, the BFSA – which is responsible for harmonising the country’s food safety regulations aligned with Codex – has led the way in moving Bangladesh in the right direction. In October 2022, BFSA constituted 27 technical working groups, comprising of stakeholders drawn from the government, academia, technical experts, and the private sector, to develop food standards regulations based on Codex international standards, while being mindful of making them accessible to Bangladesh’s micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Codex Secretary Tom Heilandt congratulated stakeholders via a video message. He said: “More than 11 200 food standards were drafted by 27 technical working groups with more than 200 experts in the relevant areas. Out of these, 36 experts from India worked with Bangladeshi experts to get this job done, which is an amazing reflection of international cooperation. Alignment with Codex standards is a dynamic process and Bangladesh needs to participate actively in the Codex meetings”.

While significant progress has been made towards Codex harmonisation, there are gaps that need to be addressed. A key step for setting science-based standards is to collect data on the contaminants and pathogens that cause food-borne illnesses. FAO supports the establishment of a system to do this. Data can be utilized by the BFSA to formulate, revise, and enforce regulations.

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