The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently published an evaluation of an ongoing project to institutionalize food safety in Bangladesh. The project, titled, “Institutionalization of Food Safety in Bangladesh for Safer Food,” is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and was designed by FAO in consultation with the Ministry of Food. The evaluation was conducted by external, independent consultants supported by FAO’s Office of Evaluation (OED).
The aims of the study are: 1) to support the operations of the newly established Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA); 2) harmonize Bangladeshi food regulations, rules, and standards; 3) foster coordination between the various regulatory bodies that are responsible for food safety in Bangladesh; and 4) support the development of a third-party system for food safety verification and inspection. Per the evaluation, the project has been successful in many areas. However, there is room for improvement in Bangladesh’s food safety operations, and the risk of regression still remains.