Consumer rights experts and advocates on Sunday called for introducing small-packet edible oil in the market to address Vitamin A deficiency among low-income people.
The call came at a joint seminar organised by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and the National Heart Foundation at the CAB office in Segunbagicha.
It also urged the government to enforce the existing laws banning the sale of open loose oil.
Experts at the event said a large portion of the population still uses open loose oil which diminishes the efficacy of Vitamin A and exposes the oil to dust and other contaminants.
They said introducing pouches, mini-packs or sachets with a capacity of 100 to 500 millilitres would allow low-income consumers to buy safe, vitamin-enriched oil at affordable prices. Smaller packaging would also ensure quicker use, reducing the risk of nutritional degradation.
However, experts acknowledged challenges including plastic waste management, packet leakage and low consumer awareness.
They recommended high-quality packaging, introduction of return-and-sell or cash-back systems, and public awareness campaigns to address these concerns.
Speakers said a coordinated effort involving policymakers, edible oil producers, the packaging industry, consumer rights organisations and the media could help introduce affordable safe packaging while simultaneously improving public health and reducing Vitamin A deficiency.
Presenting the keynote paper, Mushtak Ahmed Mohammad Iftikhar, founder chairman of Bangladesh Safe Food Authority and adviser to the National Heart Foundation, outlined the nutritional and public health risks associated with open oil consumption.
Professor Dr Sohel Reza Choudhury, head of the epidemiology department at National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, speaking as special guest, said open oil must be avoided for a healthy body and that overall oil consumption should also be reduced, as even healthy oil in excessive quantities can cause fat-related ailments.
Professor Dr Mohammad Shoyeb, a member of Bangladesh Safe Food Authority, speaking as chief guest, said CAB has long been working to ensure food safety for consumers and that collaborative efforts to protect consumer rights would continue.
CAB President AHM Shafiquzzaman, presiding over the event, said bottled healthy oil must replace open oil on public health grounds, noting that while the government has clear directives on the matter, enforcement remains absent. He said the initiative with the National Heart Foundation would be expanded across the country to compel effective action.
CAB Vice President Nazer Hossain said the interim government had suppressed an existing law banning the sale of open oil, and demanded its proper enforcement.
Also present were Director of the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate Masum Arefin, BSTI Assistant Director Engineer Shashikanta Das, Jessore University of Science and Technology Assistant Professor Dr Rashida Parvin, and representatives from various NGOs and government and non-government institutions.