What are processed   foods?

Processed foods have been altered from their natural state for safety reasons and for convenience. The methods used for processing foods include canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing.

We tend to think of processed foods as bad, but it turns out that many processed foods are not unhealthy. For example, milk would be considered a processed food because it is pasteurized to kill bacteria and homogenized to keep fats from separating. While some people prefer to drink raw milk, most of us should consume the "processed" version we find in our grocery stores.

Another healthy example of food processing is frozen vegetables. While fresh may be best, freezing vegetables preserves vitamins and minerals and makes them convenient to cook and eat all year around. Fruit and vegetable juice is also an example of a healthy processed food. In fact, some orange juice is fortified with calcium to make it even more nutritious.

Of course, there are a lot of processed foods that aren't good for you. Many processed foods are made with trans fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar. These types of foods should be avoided, or at least eaten sparingly.

Processed foods that may not be as healthy as fresh foods include:

canned foods with lots of sodium

white breads and pastas made with refined white flour, which are not as healthy as those made with whole grains

packaged high-calorie snack foods, like chips and cheese snacks

high-fat convenience foods, like cans of ravioli

frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners

packaged cakes and cookies

boxed meal mixes

sugary breakfast cereals

processed meats

Processed meats might be some of the worst of these foods. Eating these meats may increase your risk of colorectal, kidney and stomach cancer. Processed meats include hot dogs, bologna, sausage, ham and other packaged lunch meats.

These processed foods and prepackaged meals are very convenient and popular. If you do shop for these foods, be sure to look for products that are made with whole grains, low in sodium and calories, and free of trans fats. Make sure you pay attention to serving size, too, and balance out the processed foods you eat with a delicious fresh salad and some whole grain bread.

History of Processed food

Food processing dates back to the prehistoric ages when crude processing incorporated slaughtering, fermenting, sun drying, preserving with salt, and various types of cooking (such as roasting, smoking, steaming, and oven baking). Salt-preservation was especially common for foods that constituted warrior and sailors' diets, up until the introduction of canning methods.

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Evidence for the existence of these methods exists in the writings of the ancient Greek , Chaldean, Egyptian and Roman civilizations as well as archaeological evidence from Europe, North and South America and Asia. These tried and tested processing techniques remained essentially the same until the advent of the industrial revolution. Examples of ready-meals also exist from pre industrial revolution times such as the Cornish pasty and the Haggis.

Modern food processing technology in the 19th and 20th century was largely developed to serve military needs. In 1809 Nicolas Appert invented a vacuum bottling technique that would supply food for French troops, and this contributed to the development of tinning and then canning by Peter Durand in 1810. Although initially expensive and somewhat hazardous due to the lead used in cans, canned goods would later become a staple around the world. Pasteurization, discovered by Louis Pasteur in 1862, was a significant advance in ensuring the micro-biological safety of food.

In the 20th century, World War II, the space race and the rising consumer society in developed countries (including the United States) contributed to the growth of food processing with such advances as spray drying, juice concentrates, freeze drying and the introduction of artificial sweeteners, coloring agents, and preservatives such as sodium benzoate. In the late 20th century products such as dried instant soups, reconstituted fruits and juices, and self cooking meals such as MRE food ration were developed.

In western Europe and North America, the second half of the 20th century witnessed a rise in the pursuit of convenience, food processors especially marketed their products to middle-class working wives and mothers. Frozen foods (often credited to Clarence Birdseye) found their success in sales of juice concentrates and "TV dinners". Processors utilized the perceived value of time to appeal to the postwar population, and this same appeal contributes to the success of convenience foods today.

Appert's Heated. Birdseye's Frozen.

As we know from your visits to the grocery store, good, healthy and delicious processed foods come in many different kinds of packages and containers that protect the food from invading microbes and make them safe and available year round. This wasn't always true, of course. Either food was fresh or the food posed dangers, and the foods we've all come to enjoy whenever we want were only there when nature allowed them to be.

While several kinds of protective techniques, packages, and containers exist, the two most prominent methods of processing food are still canning and freezing. For these truly revolutionizing developments in history, two men deserve our thanks: Nicolas Appert and Clarence Birdseye.

Nicolas Appert

It was the end of the 1700's and the Napoleonic wars raged. As Napoleon pushed forward into Russia, the retreating Russian army left a stripped and ravaged countryside . . . and no food. As a result, Napoleon's army was suffering more casualties from scurvy, malnutrition, and starvation than from enemy muskets. The French government offered 12,000 francs to anyone who could develop a method of preserving food. Nicolas Appert, an obscure candy-maker, brewer, and baker took up the challenge. He had a theory that if fresh foods were put in airtight containers and sufficient heat applied, they would keep. After 14 years of experimentation, he won the

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prize--given to him by Napoleon himself. Appert packed his foods in bottles, corked them, and submerged them in boiling water. Without realizing it, he sterilized them, stopping bacterial spoilage. In 1810, an Englishman named Peter Durand solved the problem of bottles breaking in transit. Using tin-coated steel, Durand developed the "canister" with a soldered cover. Soon all over Britain people were eating "embalmed" meat, as they called it. The can was born. An ambitious young man in London, William Underwood, was intrigued by the idea of canned food. In 1821 he went to Boston and established a canning plant overlooking Boston Harbor. Underwood canned all kinds of products: vegetables, fruits, and condiments. He produced grape and mushroom catsup, jams and jellies, and mustard. In 1828 he shipped milk to South America. In 1835 he imported tomato seeds from England, grew his first crop, and preserved it. This was the beginning of canning in the United States. Underwood (as in "deviled ham") is America's oldest canning company.

Clarence Birdseye

Nearly a century later, a man named Clarence Birdseye was on an expedition in Labrador for the U.S. Geographic Service. While on the expedition, Birdseye noticed that fish and caribou meat that had been exposed to the Arctic air was still tender and fresh tasting even when cooked months later. Knowing that mere freezing and cold storage would not preserve the quality and taste of the food, he concluded that the secret lay in rapid freezing at extremely low temperatures.

Back in the United States, Birdseye developed his "Multiplate Quick Freeze Machine" -- a crude operation. It consisted of a new garbage can of corrugated iron containing a layer of steel plates and fitted with coils carrying a refrigerant of sodium chloride brine. Food was placed between the steel plates, frozen at -40° F and kept there for five weeks.

By 1925 Birdseye was in the frozen food business. His first product was frozen fish fillets, and he called his enterprise the General Seafood’s Company. Birdseye then applied his quick-freezing principle to meats, poultry, fruits, and vegetables.

Initially unsuccessful with consumers, frozen food has since become an indispensable part of the American diet. The Birds Eye operation now thrives as part of Dean Foods Vegetable Company.

Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry. Food processing typically takes clean, harvested crops or slaughtered and butchered animal products and uses these to produce attractive, marketable and often long-life food products. Similar processes are used to produce animal feed.

Extreme examples of food processing include the delicate preparation of deadly fugu fish or preparing space food for consumption under zero gravity.

Benefits of Food Processing

More and more people live in the cities far away from where food is grown and produced. In many families the adults are working away from home and therefore there is little time for the preparation of food based on fresh ingredients. The food industry offers products that fulfill many different needs: From peeled potatoes that only have to be boiled at home to fully prepare ready meals that can be heated up in the microwave oven within a few minutes.

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Benefits of food processing include toxin removal, preservation, easing marketing and distribution tasks, and increasing food consistency. In addition, it increases seasonal availability of many foods, enables transportation of delicate perishable foods across long distances, and makes many kinds of foods safe to eat by de-activating spoilage and pathogenic micro-organisms. Modern supermarkets would not be feasible without modern food processing techniques, long voyages would not be possible, and military campaigns would be significantly more difficult and costly to execute.

Modern food processing also improves the quality of life for allergists, diabetics, and other people who cannot consume some common food elements. Food processing can also add extra nutrients such as vitamins.

Processed foods are often less susceptible to early spoilage than fresh foods, and are better suited for long distance transportation from the source to the consumer. Fresh materials, such as fresh produce and raw meats, are more likely to harbor pathogenic micro-organisms (e.g. Salmonella) capable of causing serious illnesses.

Drawbacks of Food Processing

In general, fresh food that has not been processed other than by washing and simple kitchen preparation, may be expected to contain a higher proportion of naturally occurring vitamins, fiber and minerals than the equivalent product processed by the food industry. Vitamin C for example is destroyed by heat and therefore canned fruits have a lower content of vitamin C than fresh ones.

Food processing can lower the nutritional value of foods. Processed foods tend to include food additives, such as flavorings and texture enhancing agents, which may have little or no nutritive value, or be unhealthy. Some preservatives added or created during processing such as nitrites or sulphites may cause adverse health effects.

Processed foods often have a higher ratio of calories to other essential nutrients than unprocessed foods, a phenomenon referred to as "empty calories". Most junk foods are processed, and fit this category.

High quality and hygiene standards must be maintained to ensure consumer safety and failures to maintain adequate standards can have serious health consequences.

Performance parameters for food processing

When designing processes for the food industry the following performance parameters may be taken into account:

Hygiene, e.g. measured by number of micro-organisms per ml of finished product

Energy consumption, measured e.g. by “ton of steam per ton of sugar produced”

Minimization of waste, measured e.g. by “percentage of peeling loss during the peeling of potatoes'

Labor used, measured e.g. by ”number of working hours per ton of finished product”

Minimization of cleaning stops measured e.g. by “number of hours between cleaning stops”

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Trends in modern food processing

Health

Reduction of fat content in final product e.g. by using baking instead of deep-frying in the production of potato chips

Maintaining the natural taste of the product e.g. by using less artificial sweetener.

Hygiene

The rigorous application of industry and government endorsed standards to minimize possible risk and hazards. In the USA the standard adopted is HACCP.

Efficiency

Rising energy costs lead to increasing usage of energy-saving technologies[2], e.g. frequency converters on electrical drives, heat insulation of factory buildings and heated vessels, energy recovery systems

Factory automation systems (often Distributed control systems) reduce personnel costs and may lead to more stable production results

Food processing methods

Common food processing techniques include:

Removal of unwanted outer layers, such as potato peeling or the skinning of peaches.

Chopping or slicing e.g. diced carrots.

Mincing and macerating [Mincing is a cooking technique in which food ingredients are finely divided. The effect is to create a closely bonded mixture of ingredients and a soft or pasty texture. Flavoring ingredients such as garlic, ginger, and fresh herbs may be minced to distribute flavor more evenly in a mixture. Additionally bruising of the tissue can release juices and oils to deliver flavors uniformly in a sauce. Mincemeat tarts and Pâtés employ mincing in the preparation of moldable paste. Meat is also minced and this cooking technique is used in Greek cuisine].

Liquefaction, such as to produce fruit juice

Fermentation [Fermentation in food processing typically refers to the conversion of sugar to alcohol using yeast under anaerobic conditions. A more general definition of fermentation is the chemical conversion of carbohydrates into alcohols or acids. When fermentation stops prior to complete conversion of sugar to alcohol, a stuck fermentation is said to have occurred. The science of fermentation is known as zymology. Fermentation usually implies that the action of the microorganisms is desirable, and the process is used to produce alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, and cider. Fermentation is also employed in preservation to create lactic acid in sour foods such as pickled cucumbers, kimchi and yogurt.] e.g. in beer breweries

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Emulsification [An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible (unblendable) liquids. One liquid (the dispersed phase) is dispersed in the other (the continuous phase). Many emulsions are oil/water emulsions, with dietary fats being one common type of oil encountered in everyday life. Examples of emulsions include butter and margarine, milk and cream, and vinaigrettes; the photo-sensitive side of photographic film, magmas and cutting fluid for metal working. In butter and margarine, fat surrounds droplets of water (a water-in-oil emulsion). In milk and cream, water surrounds droplets of fat (an oil-in-water emulsion). In certain types of magma, globules of liquid NiFe may be dispersed within a continuous phase of liquid silicates. Emulsification is the process by which emulsions are prepared.]

Cooking, such as boiling, broiling [Broiling (North American English) or grilling (British and Australian English) is a process of cooking food with high heat with the heat applied directly to the food, most commonly from above. Heat transfer to the food is primarily via thermal radiation. As it is a way of cooking without added oil, it is popular in low-fat diets. In electric ovens, broiling/grilling may be accomplished by placing the food near the upper heating element, with the lower heating element off and the oven door partially open. Broiling in an electric oven may create much smoke and cause splattering in the oven. Gas ovens often have a separate compartment for broiling, as a drawer below the flame.], frying (Frying is the cooking of food in oil or fat, a technique that originated in ancient Egypt around 2500BC. Chemically, oils and fats are the same, differing only in melting point, but the distinction is only made when needed. In commerce, many fats are called oils by custom, e.g. palm oil and coconut oil, which are solid at room temperature.), steaming (Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. Steaming is considered a relatively healthier cooking technique and capable of cooking almost all kinds of food.)

Deep frying [Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot oil or fat. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used. Deep frying is classified as a dry cooking method because no water is used. Due to the high temperature involved and the high heat conduction of oil, it cooks food extremely quickly.]

Baking [Baking is the technique of prolonged cooking of food by dry heat acting by convection, and not by radiation, normally in an oven, but also in hot ashes, or on hot stones.[1] It is primarily used for the preparation of bread, cakes, pastries and pies, tarts, quiches, and cookies. Such items are sometimes referred to as "baked goods," and are sold at a bakery]

Mixing

Addition of gas such as air entrainment for bread or gasification of soft drinks

Proofing [Proofing (also called proving) is a step in creating yeast breads and baked goods where the yeast is allowed to leaven the dough. This step is not often explicitly named, and normally shows up in recipes as "Allow dough to rise".]

Spray drying [Spray drying is a commonly used method of drying a liquid feed through a hot gas. Typically, this hot gas is air]

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Pasteurization [Pasteurization is a process which slows microbial growth in foods. The process was named after its creator, French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur. The first pasteurization test was completed by Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard on April 20, 1862. Unlike sterilization, pasteurization is not intended to kill all pathogenic micro-organisms in the food or liquid. Instead, pasteurization aims to reduce the number of viable pathogens so they are unlikely to cause disease (assuming the pasteurization product is refrigerated and consumed before its expiration date). Commercial-scale sterilization of food is not common because it adversely affects the taste and quality of the product. Products that can be pasteurized-

Almonds

Apple cider

Beer

Canned food

Crabs

Eggs

Fruit juice

Honey (redundant until it is diluted)

Juice

Maple Syrup

Milk

Palm wine

Ready Meal

Soy sauce

Sports drinks

Vinegar

Water

Wine ]

Packaging [Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. Package labeling (BrE) or labeling (AmE) is any written, electronic, or graphic communications on the packaging or on a separate but associated label. Packaging can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport, warehousing, logistics, sale, and end use. Packaging contains, protects, preserves, transports, informs, and sells. It is fully integrated into government, business, institutional, industry, and personal use.]

FOOD SAFETY7

Food safety is a major element of public health and an important determinant of food trade. It involves a number of stakeholders, including primary producers, food handlers, processors and traders along the food chain, official food control services, and consumers. The official food control services play a key role in ensuring that food is safe and suitable for human consumption. They also have an impact on the organization and activities of other stakeholders.

A. Elements of a national food control system 1. Food law and regulations

The development of relevant and enforceable food law and regulations is an essential component of a modern food control system. To the extent possible, modern food laws not only contain the necessary legal powers and prescriptions to ensure food safety, but also allow the competent authorities to build preventive approaches all along the food chain.

2. Food control management

Effective food control systems require policy and operational co-ordination at the national level. They would include the establishment of a leadership function and administrative structures with clearly defined accountability for issues.

3. Official control services (inspection services)

While the responsibility for the supply of safe food is shared by all involved in the production, processing and trade along the entire food chain, the official control services are responsible for the enforcement of food safety legislation. By inspecting food, premises and processes, they prevent the trade of unsafe food.

4. Laboratory services: Food monitoring and epidemiological data

Laboratories underpin decisions of food control services. Besides, their analytical results are often used as evidence in court law or in dispute between exporting and importing countries. Therefore, they must ensure that their analyses are performed in an effective and efficient way. This depends in particular on the equipment available, the qualification and skills of the analyst and the reliability of the method used.

5. Information, education, communication and training

An increasingly important role for food control systems is the delivery of information and advice to stakeholders across the farm-to-table continuum.

B. Organizational structure for national food control systemsGiven the wide scope of food control systems, there are at least three types of organizational arrangements that may be appropriate at the national level. The system may be based on:

multiple agencies responsible for food control;

a single and unified agency for food control;

a national integrated approach

C. Management of food safety control services

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The efficiency of food control services depends very much on the way in which they are managed. This, in turn, is a reflection of the professionalism of the staff involved, the legal framework in which they operate and the means available to them to perform their duties.

BANGLADESH SCENARIOBangladesh is a developing country of 147,570 sq. km with a total population of some 130 million. The country is largely a low flat and fertile land, washed by a total 230 rivers including tributaries. It enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate. Agriculture is the largest sector in Bangladesh economy. Its combined contribution (crops, forestry, fisheries, livestocks etc.) to the country’s GDP and employment is more than one third and two third respectively

Bangladesh is yet to develop a unified Food Safety Administration System and to formulate a Food Safety Policy. But it has a National Food and Nutrition Policy where attention has been given on food safety. There are significant activities in food safety and quality control are going on in the country. A number of Ministries, Departments and Agencies are involved in these activities with a major responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) which has a unique infrastructure to deliver its services throughout the country. Under this Ministry, Management Information System on food safety and food borne illnesses is some extent integrated with the Primary Health Care Program. It may be mentioned here Bangladesh has signed the WTO Agreement.

In Bangladesh, the food safety and quality control framework consists of Laws, Regulations & Standards, Administration & Inspection and Laboratory analytical services.

A. LAWS, REGULATIONS AND POLICIES

(a) The Bangladesh Pure Food Ordinance, 1959: Under this Act, it has been proposed to constitute a National Food Safety Council ‘headed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as well as to establish Food Courts.

(b) The Bangladesh Pure Food Rules, 1967:.In this Rule, there are generic standards for 107 food products. Now, this ‘Rules’ is under revision.

(c) The Special Power Act, 1974: An Act to provide special measures for the prevention of certain prejudicial activities, for more speedy trial and effective punishment of certain grave offences.

(d) The Food Grain Supply (Prevention of Prejudicial activity) Ordinance, 1956: This ordinance provides special measures for prevention of prejudicial activity relating to the storage, movement, transshipment, supply and distribution of food grains. It provides basis for the protection of false statement or information.

(e) The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Ordinance, 1985: This ordinance is to establish an Institution for standardization, testing, metrology, quality control, grading and marking of goods. Within the framework of this ordinance, Government has established the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI).One import task is to certify the quality of commodities, materials, whether for local consumption, export and import. The Ordinance has been amended as The Bangladesh Standards and Testing

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Institution (Amendment) Act, 2003. Currently, BSTI is developing a ‘Policy on Labeling’. BSTI is the Codex Focal Point for Bangladesh.

(f) The Radiation Protection Act, 1987: Under this Act, the Institute of Food and Radiation Biology (IFRB) of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission is primarily involved in food irradiation research and development in the country.

(g) The Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Act, 1989: The Government has enacted “The Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Act, 1989 for universal salt iodization & banned non-iodized salt from market, aimed at virtual elimination of IDD from the country.

(h) The Essential Commodity Act, 1990: The purpose of administering this act is to stable, maintain or increase supply of essential commodities including foodstuffs. The mandate of Essential Commodity Act also includes broad spectrum of broad spectrum of activities like storage, transport, distribution, disposal, acquisition, use or consumption of any essential commodity.

(i) Fish and Fish product (Inspection and Quality Control) Rules, 1997: This section of the Fish and Fish products (Inspection and Control) Ordinance 1983 (Ord xx of 1983) and in conjunction with fish and fish products Inspection and Quality Rules 1989, and other related provisions made there under, the Government has made the Rules: Fish and Fish product (Inspection and Quality Control) Rules, 1997. These Rules are basically meant to develop quality improvement to promote export of trade. The quality control of fish and fish products in the country has earned reputation of the importing countries.

(j) Other Laws and Regulations: In addition, a number of other Laws and Regulations are existed in the country to ensure the safe and quality food viz.

The Animal Slaughter (Restriction) and Meat Control (Amendment) Ordinance,1983 (it is under revision);

The Pesticide Ordinance,1971 & the Pesticides Rules,1985;

Destructive Insects and Pests Rules (Plant Quarantine),1966,amended up to 1989;Agricultural Products Market Act,1950 (revised in 1985);

Fish Protection and Conservation Act,1950 (amended in 1995);

Marine Fisheries Ordinance 1983 and Rules,1983;

Procuremnet Specifications, Ministry of Food, Rice Mill Control Order etc. To protect the consumers rights and privileges a new Act i.e. Consumers’ Protection Act, 2004 is to be passed soon.

There is also a number of policies i.e.

Bangladesh Food and Nutrition Policy, 1997 and

National Plan of Action on Nutrition, National Agricultural Policy, 1999;

Integrated Pest Management Policy, 2002 etc are linked with the country’s food safety and quality control.

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B. BANGLADESH FOOD STANDARDS

a. Under the Bangladesh Pure Food Ordinance, 1959 and the Bangladesh Pure Food Rules, 1967, there are 107 different generic, mandatory food standards.

b. BSTI is the Standardization body in the country. There are 50 mandatory generic food standards of BSTI. In addition, there are some 250 optional standards for different foodstuff. BSTI is also adopting Codex standards.

C. ADMINISTRATION AND INSPECTION

The following Ministries, Departments, Agencies are directly or indirectly responsible for enforcement of food laws, rules and regulations-

(a) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW):

(b) Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (MOLGRD):

(c) Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs:

(d) Ministry of Food and Disaster Management:

(e) Ministry of Industry:

(f) Ministry of Agriculture:

(g) Ministry of Environment and Forest:

(h) Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock:

(i) In addition, the Ministries like Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defense are also responsible for food safety and quality control.

D. LABORATORY ANALYSES OF FOOD

The following Laboratories are responsible for qualitative and quantitative assessment of food items-

1. Public Health Laboratory of the Institute of Public Health, Dhaka under the MOHFW.

2. Laboratory of the Institute of Public Health Nutrition under the MOHFW-dealing with the monitoring of the quality of Iodized salt and others

3. Bangladesh Standard Testing Institution (BSTI) under the Ministry of Industries.

4. Food Testing Laboratory, Directorate of Food under the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management.

5. Institute of Food Science Technology, Dhaka; Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) as well as its Branches at Chittagong and Dhaka under Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology.

6. Food Testing Laboratory of Dhaka City Corporation under the MOLGRD.

7. Laboratory of Plant Protection Wing of DAE of Ministry of Agriculture.

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8. Quality Control Laboratories for frozen fish at Khulna and Chittagong under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

9. Laboratory of Department of Livestock under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

10. Institute of Food Radiation Biology, Atomic Energy Commission under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

11. Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka under the Ministry of Education.

12. Central laboratory and Lab of Post Harvest Technology of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute and Lab. of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture.

13. Armed Forces Food and Drug Testing Laboratory, Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka under the Ministry of Defense.

14. Laboratories of Department of Food Technology & Rural Industry, Department of Dairy Science and Department of Biochemistry of Bangladesh Agricultural University.

15. Chemical Examination Laboratory of CID under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

16. Environment Laboratory, Directorate of Environment under the Ministry Environment and Forests.

CONCLUSION

Food safety has been included in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) of the country. Over the years the food safety and quality situation including mass awareness of the country has also been improved. Consumers’ group and voluntary organizations are active in the country. The Government is updating the laws, rules and regulations regarding food safety and quality. Strengthening of the existing laboratories and establishment of a reference laboratory as well as set-up of regional Public Health Laboratories at the Divisional and District head quarters under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are urgently needed.

Sources: 12

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_processing

Larsson SC, Wolk A. "Meat consumption and risk of colorectal cancer: A meta-analysis of prospective studies." Int J Cancer. 2006 Dec 1;119(11):2657-64.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_processing#History

Faramawi MF, Johnson E, Fry MW, Sall M, Yi Z. "Consumption of different types of meat and the risk of renal cancer: meta-analysis of case-control studies." Cancer Causes Control. 2007 Mar;18(2):125-33. Epub 2007 Jan 22.

http://www.fpa-food.org/content/consumers/history.asp

Larsson SC, Orsini N, Wolk A. "Processed meat consumption and stomach cancer risk: a meta-analysis." J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Aug 2;98(15):1078-87.

Healthy Processed Food\APPENDIX IX - Working papers of the Second Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators.htm

http://www.foodsafety.gov/~dms/prodguid.html#intro

http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/fsmanagement/en/streetvend.pdf

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