Dhaka:The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has ramped up its initiatives to combat food adulteration and contamination, aiming to protect public health through a series of strategic interventions.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the BFSA's efforts include enhanced regulatory enforcement, mobile court operations, food establishment inspections, food sample testing, as well as training and public awareness campaigns. Between February and September 2026, BFSA conducted 937 mobile court operations and monitored 9,985 food establishments, as noted in a document presented at the Ministry of Food's recent parliamentary standing committee meeting.
Monthly data indicate that August saw the highest number of mobile court operations, totaling 329, while March recorded the peak for food establishment inspections with 1,878 establishments reviewed. The deployment of eight mobile laboratories across metropolitan cities has further bolstered food safety monitoring efforts. These laboratories are part of the "Capacity Building of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (2nd Revised Project)," which runs from July 2021 to June 2027.
The project also includes the establishment of a laboratory at the BFSA headquarters and 72 mini laboratories at the field level. These efforts are designed to improve food safety management through rapid testing, enhanced surveillance, and modern laboratory facilities. The mobile labs enable swift analysis of food materials, aiding in the identification of potential food safety risks.
In addition, the BFSA has introduced a digital food safety surveillance system and a database platform that, as of September 27, 2026, contains information on 203,732 food business operators. The initiative aims to include data on about 1.013 million operators and establishments nationwide.
An online call center with a toll-free helpline, operational since February 2023, provides a platform for stakeholders to access food safety information. Public awareness and capacity building have been prioritized, with 150 training programs, 69 workshops, and 1,549 seminars conducted by January 2026, against targets of 190 training programs, 194 workshops, and 1,575 seminars.
The project, estimated at Taka 108.75 crore, aims to enhance Bangladesh's food safety infrastructure significantly. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman recently inspected a mobile laboratory van at the Secretariat, observing the processes involved in ensuring food safety through sample testing.