From arsenic and cadmium in rice to melamine in milk powder and aflatoxin in coconut oil, we have seen food controversies come and go, only to be forgotten within weeks as media attention fades.
When such controversies arise, authorities often downplay the risks, urging the public not to “panic.” Yet, when we go to a marketplace, do any of us truly know whether the food in our cart is free from contamination or adulteration? A simple scan of media reports over the past few years would raise many eyebrows about the quality of food we consume. A pertinent question is why follow-up actions are that hard to come by.
The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), the apex government body mandated to protect consumers’ interests and ensure fair market competition in Sri Lanka, often highlights the consumers’ rights to safety, be informed, choose, redress and consumer education. When more is unsaid than said about the food on the shelf, how can consumers fight for these rights?
Health and Mass Media
Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa
The Food Act of 1980 (amended in 1991 and 2011) is the main legislation governing food control activities in Sri Lanka, but its enforcement remains a challenge. The stipulated health and safety measures have often been pushed aside to make quick bucks. The lack of transparency in food labelling further complicates matters. While it is not entirely fair to blame the Government for these lapses, the responsibility ultimately falls on its shoulders to step in and set things right.
With food-borne illnesses on the rise and consumer trust dwindling, the experts in the field have recommended urgent reforms and greater accountability to ensure food safety.
Policy in the offing
Food safety is about handling, storing and preparing food to prevent infection and help ensure that our food retains enough nutrients for a healthy diet. According to health authorities, consumption of contaminated food or beverages can result in more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhea to cancer.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that nearly 1 in 10 people globally (around 600 million individuals) fall ill each year due to contaminated food, resulting in 420,000 deaths annually. These illnesses are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and harmful chemicals in food. Pointing out this global reality, Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, spoke about the economic impact of unsafe food.
“For Sri Lanka to succeed in capturing the international market, it must align with global food safety standards,” he said, reminding that the country’s economic growth hinges largely on exports.
“Improving food safety requires strong policies, legislation, regulations, capacity building, and widespread advocacy. It demands collective action and public awareness to influence perceptions and behaviours across the entire food value chain,” he added. He requested the media to foster continuous public discourse on the issue rather than reacting only when outbreaks occur.
FAO Representative for
Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Vimlendra Sharan
Sharan was speaking at a media knowledge-sharing event titled “Strengthening Food Safety Control Mechanisms in Sri Lanka: Current Challenges, Collaborative Solutions, and Future Pathways,” held in Colombo recently, along with a panel discussion on the same topic.
Working hand in hand with local and international stakeholders, the Government is in the process of revamping the National Food Safety Policy and revising the Food Act to meet modern needs. The draft National Policy has been presented to the Cabinet and the Cabinet has appointed a sub-committee consisting of 40 experts to study its content and propose changes where necessary. In addition to ensuring food safety, the Policy aims to promote healthy food habits and nutrition surveillance.
Funded by the European Union (EU), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have been assisting the Government in drafting them.
Delivering the keynote address at the same event, Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa underlined gaps between regulations and enforcement, inadequate infrastructure and modernisation, rising cases of food-borne illnesses, complexities in the supply chain, misinformation, and a lack of public awareness as key challenges in addressing food safety issues in the country.
Adulteration
Peradeniya University Agriculture Faculty Food Science and Technology Prof. Eresha Mendis said that spices and milk, both powdered and liquid, are two food categories highly adulterated in Sri Lanka.
“We have come across various adulterants. For example, certain garment dyes are added to spices and condiments because they are cheaper and more readily available than food-grade colourings, which are mostly imported. Even adding water to milk to increase its volume is a form of adulteration. In some cases, urea is added to milk. Refuse tea (considered inferior quality or rejects) is another issue in Sri Lanka. Our research has found that packets of rice sold in some areas of Colombo contain significant microbial contamination, including Salmonella and E. coli. The microbiological quality and safety of these products are compromised,” she told the Sunday Observer.
She advised consumers to read labels carefully before purchasing any food item—checking the ingredients, manufacturing and expiry dates, price, and company registration— and to avoid buying any product lacking such information. She urged consumers to steer clear of damaged packaging, dented cans, or bottles with a bumpy appearance and to look for local or international standardisation when buying food items.
Challenges
Peradeniya University Prof. Eresha Mendis.
Pix by Wimal Karunatilaka
The academic highlighted the need for better collaboration among state agencies working towards food control, as the country has a multi-agency food control system led by the Health Ministry.
“The Food Control Administration Unit of the Health Ministry is the main agency managing food quality and safety in the country, while there are other agencies like the Consumer Affairs Authority, Agriculture Department, Department of Animal Production and Health, National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Under the Food Act, there are enforcement officers, such as Food and Drug Inspectors and Public Health Inspectors, who go to the field and check food safety and quality. However, there is a dearth of such officers.
As a result, hygiene, sanitation, cooking, and other requirements often go unchecked in many small-scale shops,” Prof. Mendis said.
Pointing out that some imported food items had been of bad quality in recent times, she stressed the need to properly report and keep records of those cases to minimise repetitions. “At one point, we were talking about very low-quality palm oil importation. More recently, there was controversy surrounding coconut oil. The authorities should take steps to avoid repetitions of such cases,” she said.
The academic emphasised that the laboratory facilities in the country are inadequate to check emerging food safety and quality issues. She pointed out that micro-plastic accumulation in food, especially fish and salt, has become a challenging issue in contemporary times as the sea is contaminated with a lot of micro-plastics. Large scale marine pollution incidents like the X-Press Pearl disaster have made matters worse, she added.
Prof. Mendis cautioned against the excessive use of agrochemicals, noting that high levels of pesticide residues in the food we eat remain a problem. “This is mostly due to non-adherence to the given guidelines. Farmers and industrialists must be made aware of the importance of harvesting at the correct time and stage of maturity.
The correct time relates to safety, while maturity relates to quality. Harvesting must take place a certain number of days after pesticide application; otherwise, the level of pesticide residues will be dangerously high,” she advised.
Asked about the concerns of microwave use, she stated that their research does not corroborate any of those claims, adding that most of them are misconceptions. “Microwaves are heavily used in other countries. We do not have to spread fear about microwave cooking,” she replied.
