Food Adulteration Problem: A Situation Analysis and Way Forward

Raya Adiba

doi:10.20944/preprints202512.0953.v1

Submitted:

09 December 2025

Posted:

10 December 2025

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Abstract

Food adulteration has become one of Bangladesh’s most urgent public health and governance challenges, affecting everything from everyday groceries to street foods. This review draws on secondary research to examine why the problem persists, revealing a system driven by profit incentives, weak oversight, and poor consumer awareness. Adulteration thrives at wholesale and processing stages, where harmful chemicals, dyes, and fillers are routinely introduced into essential foods, leading to rising rates of poisoning, chronic illness, and long-term organ damage. The crisis also undermines economic stability, erodes public trust, and disproportionately harms low-income communities. Although Bangladesh has established regulatory structures like the BFSA, persistent gaps in funding, laboratory capacity, coordination, and enforcement limit their effectiveness. The study proposes a path forward anchored in stronger institutions, specialized courts, modern testing and traceability technologies, farm-to-fork certification, and greater public transparency. Meaningful reform requires collective responsibility across government, industry, and society.

Keywords:

food adulteration

;

public health crisis

;

regulatory reform

;

food safety courts

;

BFSA

Subject:

Public Health and Healthcare - Other

Introduction

Every living creature requires food as a basic necessity. Our diet provides critical building blocks—like proteins, fats, and carbohydrates—that we consume for essential energy and good health. Despite this fundamental role, the food system is constantly challenged by fraud. This issue, known as food adulteration. Food Adulteration means deliberately mixing inferior, harmful, or fake substances into food for economic gain—like watering down milk with detergent or sweetening honey with sugar syrup. This differs sharply from contamination, which happens unintentionally through pests, poor hygiene, or environmental pollutants. In 2023 alone, Bangladesh's Food Safety Authority busted over 1,200 cases of such adulteration, from milk spiked with urea to spices dyed with lead chromate, sickening thousands and claiming lives. It's a daily gamble in kitchens across the nation, where profit-hungry vendors taint essentials for quick cash. In Bangladesh, it's rampant: dairy products top the list at 40% of violations, followed by spices (25%), fruits, and fish, per recent audits. A 2024 survey found 70% of tested street foods contaminated, fueling a public health crisis with rising cases of kidney failure and food poisoning.

Food Adulteration is a serious form of fraud that cheats consumers and directly contributes to a wide range of health problems. Today it is extremely difficult to find any part of the food industry that hasn't been touched by this issue. The adulterants are adding unwanted chemical substances to food or beverages, often to make the quantity look larger, cut manufacturing costs, or simply mislead the buyer. Given the huge number of food producers and the outstanding amount of imported products currently in the market, it has become easier than ever for businesses to deceive the public. For this reason, it is critical that consumers become educated about the most common adulterants and fully understand the damaging effects they can have on their health (Anita and Neetu,2013). This article analysis the adulteration scourge through a situation analysis—uncovering root causes, consequences, potential solutions and proper steps to mitigate the problem.

Literature Review

Over the period of time various research was conducted on the topic. A 2019 Fortune Journals piece uncovers how 70-90% of market foods get tainted—think milk laced with urea or spices with lead dyes—blaming profit greed and lax checks that spark cancers and poisoning. Scholars paint a grim picture of food adulteration in Bangladesh, blending health scares with systemic failures (Mohiuddin AK,2019). Jagannath University’s 2020 study on Dhaka shoppers flags pitiful right awareness, pushing farm-to-table fixes and risk probes to slash street food contamination hitting 100% in sweets (Sharmin,2019). Lund University's thesis highlights newborn risks from nationwide adulteration waves, demanding public pushback (Brishti,2024). 2014 Sage analysis rips legal gaps violating basic rights, calling for iron-fisted enforcement (Solaiman & Ali, 2014). PMC's 2023 bazaar perceptions study shows adulteration as top safety fear, with 50% meats-oils spiked by DDT or dyes (PMC,2023). These works scream for united action—tougher raids, education, and tech—to tame this silent killer.

Methodology

For this study all the information are collected from secondary sources. From different websites, articles, academic journals, books, university published studies.

Discussion

The crisis of food adulteration in Bangladesh is organized, profit-driven issue sustained by failures in market control. The primary engine of this problem is the economic driver—the enormous profit incentive. Dishonest actors exploit the high-value gap between genuine food and cheap, inert substitutes. Research shows that in high-demand items, such as ground spices, the profit margin generated by replacing authentic product with low-cost fillers like colored brick dust can exceed 400% [Hasan, 2024]. This predatory practice thrives in a low-risk, high-reward environment where ethical concerns are overridden by immediate financial gain.

This economic pressure is often compounded by powerful market and consumer drivers. The modern, fast-paced market encourages adulteration by prioritizing superficial qualities over genuine safety. Consumers, for instance, frequently demand visually flawless produce with extended shelf life, leading vendors to use chemicals like calcium carbide to prematurely ripen mangoes and bananas, or apply bright, toxic dyes to sweetmeats and fast food to enhance aesthetic appeal. The demand for "always available" products inadvertently fuels the use of dangerous preservatives, such as formalin, to keep fish and meat appearing fresh for days. Milk is frequently padded out by adding starch, or treated with formalin or even detergent to increase volume and artificially thicken the consistency. The use of artificial ripening agents like calcium carbide remains rampant, alongside the spraying of prohibited chemicals on vegetables to achieve unnaturally vibrant colors. The category of Spices and Condiments is highly vulnerable, with spices commonly bulked up with sawdust, stone chips, or dyed powder. Industrial colors and non-permitted flavor enhancers are also widely used in popular fast food items to achieve intense, addictive sensory experiences. Fast food outlets in Bangladesh are increasingly adulterating items like burgers and fries with harmful additives, where a 2019 BFSA study found 52% of tested samples contaminated nationwide, including sauces spiked with formalin and low-quality oils. This rampant practice, affecting urban youth who consume fast food daily, heightens risks of foodborne illnesses amid 70% public belief in widespread tainting. Tracking these methods reveals critical adulteration hotspots along the food supply chain. While pesticide overuse represents contamination at the farmer level, the bulk of intentional, large-scale adulteration occurs at the wholesale markets and secondary processing levels. These intermediary points—where materials are batched, mixed, and packaged—are the weakest links, allowing large volumes of dangerous adulterants to be introduced before the product ever reaches the final retailer.

Food Adulteration Impacts on Health, Economy, and Society

The systematic food fraud has far-reaching consequences that jeopardize public health, cripple economic growth, and erode social trust.

Health Consequences

At the micro-level, the direct health effects are devastating. Continuous, low-level consumption of illegal textile dyes, heavy metals, and toxic residues (such as formaldehyde from formalin) is strongly linked to long-term chronic conditions. These range from immediate acute food poisoning and severe gastrointestinal distress to major health catastrophes, including life-altering organ damage, neurological impairment, and various forms of cancer.

On a macro-level, this crisis places a severe burden on the national health system. The treatment of chronic, food-induced illnesses inflates national healthcare costs dramatically. More critically, studies suggest that the sustained morbidity linked to unsafe food significantly reduces life expectancy and directly causes a substantial loss in national productivity due to chronic worker illness and absenteeism (Ahmed & Khan, 2023).

Economic and Social Consequences

The economic damage extends beyond domestic health costs. Repeated exposure to food safety violations leads to a massive loss of domestic consumer trust, prompting many to abandon branded products creating market instability. Internationally, the failure to meet stringent global standards has historically resulted in export market restrictions, such as heightened scrutiny on key Bangladeshi exports like shrimp and fish to major economies. This damages the nation’s international reputation and limits crucial foreign exchange earnings.

A key social consequence is the creation of an unfair health equity gap. Low-income populations are disproportionately impacted, as they often rely on cheaper, less regulated open market food and street vendors, making them the most vulnerable to toxic adulterants. This cycle of illness exacerbates poverty. Furthermore, the constant stream of scandals and the apparent inability of regulatory bodies to enforce laws lead to a deep erosion of trust between citizens and both food producers and the government bodies, such as the BFSA, tasked with ensuring their safety.

The Current Regulatory Framework and Challenges

The foundation of the system is the Food Safety Act, 2013, which provides the primary legal basis for regulating the entire food supply chain. The main institution is the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), mandated to scientifically oversee and coordinate all food safety activities. Supporting agencies include the BSTI (responsible for setting quality standards) and the system of Mobile Courts (responsible for quick, often ad-hoc, field enforcement).

Despite this setup, the system is fundamentally undermined by critical institutional weakness. As noted in governance literature, regulatory bodies in Bangladesh often struggle with a lack of autonomy and consistent government support. The BFSA specifically struggles with insufficient funding, which translates directly into inadequate human resources, limited inspection capacity, and, most crucially, a profound shortage of modern, well-equipped testing laboratories across districts. These administrative deficits render the regulator incapable of effectively monitoring the vast and complex food sector.

Furthermore, there are significant enforcement issues. The system relies too heavily on highly visible but often ineffective ad-hoc Mobile Courts for raids and immediate fines. While providing public reassurance, these actions rarely disrupt the systemic networks of fraud. This over-reliance prevents the establishment of specialized Food Safety Courts with the judicial capacity to conduct complex investigations, issue severe, long-term penalties, and act as a true judicial deterrent. Ineffective enforcement is further complicated by challenges related to corruption and political influence.

Finally, the current situation is plagued by acute coordination failure. There is a chronic lack of cohesive communication, effective data sharing, and joint operational planning between the BFSA, BSTI, Customs, and Police. This fragmented approach allows criminals to skillfully exploit the jurisdictional gaps between these agencies, significantly neutralizing the overall impact of regulatory efforts (Khaled, 2016).

Policy Recommendations for Systemic Change

To move past the persistent problem of food adulteration, the government cannot rely on fragmented, ad-hoc responses. The analysis confirms that the causes are structural, requiring a "Way Forward" rooted in comprehensive institutional, technological, and social reforms.

Institutional Unification and Capacity Building

The current, under-resourced state of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) is unsustainable. Allowing the BFSA true autonomy and a dedicated, guaranteed budget is the most important step in removing the financial and administrative obstacles frequently observed in public sector management [Uddin&Rahman,2022]. This financial empowerment must be directed toward establishing a network of regional, ISO-accredited testing laboratories.

Legal and Judicial Reform

The system's over-reliance on Mobile Courts must end. While quick, they lack the judicial scope to tackle organized food fraud rings. We must advocate for the immediate and efficient operationalization of specialized Food Safety Courts with fast-track procedures. Fines alone are viewed as a cost of doing business. As deterrence, these courts must be empowered to hand down severe, punitive penalties, including prison sentences, thereby increasing the risk profile for large-scale adulteration to a point where it is no longer profitable [Hossain, 2024]. This shift from monetary punishment to true punitive deterrence is essential.

Technological Adoption for Real-Time Monitoring

Technology offers affordable solutions for monitoring quality without relying solely on slow, centralized labs. Introducing cheap, rapid-testing kits at customs checkpoints, wholesale markets, and major transport hubs would enable swift, on-the-spot verification of common contaminants like formalin or dyes. Furthermore, adopting advanced block chain technology could provide unprecedented supply chain traceability. By creating an immutable digital ledger, every batch of perishable goods can be tracked from the processor to the final retailer, holding every handler accountable for the quality of the product they pass along [Chowdhury,2023].

Mandatory Farm-to-Fork Certification

Current efforts focus heavily on punishing the retailer, but true safety must start at the source. The government should mandate a national certification and grading system that applies at the primary producer and wholesale levels. This system should be accompanied by training programs and financial incentives for smallholder farmers who adopt certified safe agricultural practices. By making safety a mandatory market standard, this approach utilizes market mechanisms to incentivize safe food production from the very beginning [Alam, 2021].

Public Disclosure and Consumer Empowerment

One of the most powerful tools against food fraud is an informed and engaged public. The BFSA should adopt a policy of mandatory public disclosure of all inspection results and the identities of repeat violators. This "name-and-shame" strategy harnesses social pressure. Simultaneously, massive, consistent public awareness campaigns—using simple language and accessible platforms—must be launched to educate consumers on basic home-testing methods and, crucially, how to shift their purchasing decisions towards certified safe foods, thereby driving market pressure for quality [Siddique, 2020].

Conclusion

The food adulteration crisis is more than a public health threat; it is an endemic failure of governance and market regulation that compromises the nation’s future prosperity. Our Situation Analysis has shown that the problem is rooted in structural weakness—specifically, an underfunded regulator and an inadequate judicial system—magnified by clear profit incentives. The Way Forward requires a decisive, multi-pronged effort. Success hinges on a foundational investment in institutional capacity, the political will to enforce justice through specialized courts, and the intelligent adoption of technology to ensure traceability. Ultimately, the responsibility for ensuring a safe food supply is a collective one that demands immediate, collaborative action from government bodies, industry stakeholders, and empowered citizens.

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