Project Description

Reducing the incidence of foodborne diseases and other food safety risks in Bangladesh is challenging because of the scientific and regulatory infrastructure required to support a food processing sector dominated by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). An understanding of the prevailing gaps will accelerate efforts to address food safety risks and create a robust food system.

This project, led by K. Vijayaraghavan of Sathguru Management Consultants, is conducting baseline and gap assessments of food safety risks, regulations, scientific capability, and current food industry practices in Bangladesh. The first goal is to determine the critical factors for food safety and establish national primary interventions for addressing major gaps. In addition, an assessment of Bangladesh’s existing infrastructure for detecting foodborne pathogens is identifying key opportunities for workforce and institutional capacity building for monitoring and control of microbial food safety hazards.

This project is laying the foundation for a data-driven and risk-based approach to reduce, manage, and mitigate foodborne illnesses across food sectors in Bangladesh. Promoting public-private partnerships to meet the food testing needs of MSMEs; developing new rapid testing technologies; enabling mechanisms for data sharing across government agencies to track outbreaks; and supporting the government’s regulatory framework are opportunities to transform Bangladesh’s food safety environment.