The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) imposed fines totalling more than Tk 1 crore (Tk 1,00,65,000) on food establishments across the country in September under the Safe Food Act, 2013, and filed 44 cases through mobile courts and other enforcement drives.
The agency disclosed the figures in a statement Tuesday, saying it also monitored 1,307 food establishments during the month and issued health certificates for three export-quality products.
In Dhaka metropolitan area, BFSA conducted 26 drives under the law in September, fining 12 establishments a total of Tk 16 lakh and filing 14 cases.
Common irregularities found at these establishments included operating without mandatory registration, preparing food in unhygienic conditions, and storing unlabelled fish, meat and other items in refrigerators.
Many also failed to display trade licences, food workers' health certificates and pest control certificates.
Outside the capital, BFSA raided 28 establishments in different districts.
The offences found there included making chanachur by trampling it underfoot, using burnt oil and unauthorised chemical colours, cockroaches and bedbugs at production sites, use of unapproved ghee, and the use of kewra water in biryani.
Others were selling products without labels and producing food in filthy, unhealthy conditions. For these, the establishments were fined a total of Tk 45.70 lakh and 30 cases were filed.
Separately, 31 establishments were fined Tk 38.95 lakh through summary trials led by the judge of the Pure Food Court and a metropolitan magistrate.
In all, BFSA conducted 71 drives in September, imposing fines of over Tk 1 crore and filing 44 cases, the statement said.
Alongside enforcement, BFSA has stepped up monitoring of food establishments nationwide. In September, it inspected markets, hotels and restaurants, bakeries, sweet shops, and food production and processing facilities.
The agency said the monitoring checks whether food safety rules are followed in production, storage, serving, processing and marketing. Establishments are given instructions and, where necessary, legal action is taken.
BFSA is also running multi-channel campaigns to raise public awareness about safe food consumption, hygienic production and marketing, and the responsibilities of consumers, it added.