Staff Reporter : Today, Monday (2 February), marks National Food Safety Day 2026. One of the biggest obstacles in implementing this year’s theme, “Nirapod Khaddyo Nischit Kori, Sustho Sobol Jibon Gori,” is the sale of edible oil in unhygienic open drums.
Experts say that edible oil sold in open drums usually lacks vitamin A or contains it in insufficient amounts. Such oil is often marketed in non–food-grade drums that were previously used to transport chemicals.
Repeated use of the same drums increases the risk of contamination, while also creating more opportunities for adulteration. As a result, public health risks are increasing, and vitamin A deficiency among children and women is becoming more prevalent.
Research shows that most packaged edible oils are safe and fortified with vitamin A. However, to ensure that quality edible oil reaches consumers, light-resistant, opaque packaging is critically important. Exposure to sunlight or any form of light, air, and oxygen reduces the vitamin A content of oil and gradually degrades its quality.
According to the National Micronutrient Survey 2019–20, nearly one in every two children, that is, 50.9 percent of children aged 06–59 months suffer from vitamin A deficiency. In 2013,
the government enacted a law prohibiting the marketing of edible oil without vitamin A fortification. However, the sale of edible oil in open drums remains a major barrier to effective enforcement of this law.
On the occasion of National Food Safety Day 2026, ABM Zubair, Executive Director of the research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), said, “Vitamin A fortified edible oil is an effective way to address nutritional deficiencies and improve long-term public health goals. Ending the sale of edible oil in open drums could bring significant progress in protecting public health.”