It was reported this week that the Sri Lankan Government has made it mandatory to test imported dried fish, sprats, and fruits for heavy metals such as lead and arsenic with effect from today (1). As per The Daily Morning, this is in a context where a survey conducted by the Food Control Administration Unit of the Health Ministry between 2021 and 2022, has found that certain consignments of imported dried fish, sprats, and fruits contain heavy metals, especially lead and arsenic, in large quantities. This survey has also revealed that certain imported fruit stocks contain an alarming level of lead, which is an extremely toxic heavy metal.

Any ordinary consumer would agree that this is a good decision, and that the Government should have paid attention to these possible risks sooner. At the same time, one could question as to why the Government was late to take the necessary step, as concerns pertaining to the lack of quality of imported food has been a cause for concern for years. Needless to say, food security is now a more serious issue than ever before.

What is more, the said Unit has advised importers to ensure that the amount of heavy metals and arsenic present in the dried fish, sprats, and fruits brought in from overseas do not exceed the permitted minimum level. However, whether that is adequate is questionable, in a context where the economic crisis has pushed many business folk, including importers of the abovementioned food items, to focus more on their income than on the quality of the goods that they provide. Who is going to monitor these businesses and how exactly will that materialise are matters that require attention, if Sri Lanka is to truly benefit from the findings of this survey.

One crucial step that Sri Lanka should take to get proper results from what it learnt and what it is planning to do is educating the general public or the consumers. At the end of the day, it matters not what policies, laws or practices were implemented, if Sri Lankan consumers do not pay adequate attention to their roles and rights concerning the quality of food. They should be able and willing to check and question the quality of food that they consume, and initiate or support actions against business folk who fail to maintain the quality of food.

The role and responsibility of the health and consumer rights authorities, which also extends to business folk, place a bigger role in supporting consumers in being responsible and critical. Both business folk and the said authorities should focus on standards. For example, dried fish has little to no standards pertaining particularly to the contents and nutrients, the process of preparation, and the dates of manufacture and the expiration of those products. It goes without saying that against the backdrop of the economic crisis, which resulted in the prices of most protein rich products including fish and other types of meat increasing, dried fish and sprats have become the main sources of protein for many, and play a big role in the country’s nutrition and food security situation. In that context, the standards pertaining to these products should receive more attention. As all other food items, these items should also have standards that ensure their quality.

Sri Lanka is a country that has been severely affected by food security related issues thanks to the economic crisis, and scores of people are trying to ensure their basic daily meals, which in most cases do not meet nutrient related standards. In this backdrop, the Government has a responsibility to ensure that at least the available and still affordable food items are good for the people’s health. Business folk, on the other hand, should pay more attention to ensuring that their products do not only make money but also contribute to their clientele’s health, which is a long term investment.