Green activists on Friday urged manufacturers to stop mixing toxic colours, chemicals and preservatives in food and soft drinks.
They also demanded government steps to ensure quality and safe food and soft drinks to protect the consumers’ rights at a discussion meeting, said a press release.
Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan organised the discussion titled ‘How safe are the drinking water and soft drinks in Bangladesh’ at its Lalmatia office in Dhaka.
Speakers at the discussion said excessive sugar, chemical colours, caffeine and high rate acidity were very dangerous for different organs of human body, especially for children.
These contaminated foods and cold drinks were causing disease like — cancer, gastric, cholera, liver cirrhosis, different heart, skin and liver diseases, they said.
The activists alleged that some fraud businessmen were using different contaminated products in cold drinks to attract children and violating human rights.
They urged the people to become aware of and prevent the children to take these fake foods and drinks.
BAPA’s vice-president ASM Shahjahan, general secretary Mohammad Abdul Matin, former general secretary Mohidul Haque Khan, member Zahedur Rahman and Doctors’ for Heath and Environment’s general secretary Shakil Akhter were also present at the meeting.
