People use countless products every day, yet they cannot personally inspect or verify each one. Nor is such verification realistically possible.
No ordinary individual has the ability to determine the safety of every medicine, food item, cosmetic, or everyday household product sold in the market.
This is precisely why the modern state exists. The state's responsibility extends beyond maintaining law and order; it also serves as the guardian of the public's unseen safety.
Whenever a product is permitted to enter people's homes, the state implicitly assures its safety. Consumer confidence rests upon this assurance. There can be no room for cracks in that trust.
A recent joint study conducted by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) and Jahangirnagar University has revealed that 26 of the 34 toothpaste brands tested contained microscopic plastic particles, or microplastics.
These particles were even detected in toothpaste formulated for children. The study further noted that Bangladesh has no national standard specifying acceptable limits of microplastics in toothpaste, nor has any system of regular monitoring been established.
In other words, the problem is not merely one of a chemical substance but also of a deficient regulatory framework.
Toothpaste is a product that people use every single day. Children, in particular, often swallow some of the foam while brushing their teeth.
If, despite this reality, there are no clear regulations governing the ingredients of such products, if manufacturers are not required to provide a complete list of ingredients on product labels, and if scientific testing of products on the market is not conducted regularly, then an unavoidable question arises: who ultimately bears responsibility for consumer safety?
This question extends far beyond toothpaste alone. It raises broader concerns about the nature and effectiveness of our regulatory system.
To what extent is a product's safety verified before it is approved for sale? How frequently is it re-evaluated after receiving approval? When new scientific evidence emerges, how quickly are relevant regulations updated?
The more ambiguous the answers to these questions remain, the greater the public's anxiety becomes.
In a modern state, consumer protection is not merely an administrative responsibility; it is an integral component of public health. Many countries around the world have either banned or strictly regulated the use of microplastics in personal care products because scientific progress continually uncovers new health and environmental risks.
Policymaking must evolve alongside scientific knowledge. Scientists identify risks in laboratories; governments translate those discoveries into public policy. When this connection breaks down, scientific findings remain confined to research papers while the risks quietly enter people's daily lives.
Another significant aspect of this study deserves attention. A large number of the surveyed consumers were unaware that oral care products could contain plastic-derived substances.
Furthermore, none of the toothpaste packages examined clearly disclosed the presence of microplastics or related synthetic polymers. When such information is withheld, consumers are deprived of the opportunity to make informed decisions.
Consumer choice then becomes little more than a nominal freedom, for no one can make a wise decision without adequate information.
Therefore, expressing concern alone is not enough. What is needed is the formulation of clear standards through the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), mandatory disclosure of product ingredients, regular market surveillance, enhanced laboratory capacity for modern scientific testing, and the continuous updating of regulations in light of emerging scientific evidence.
Manufacturers also bear responsibility, but that responsibility becomes meaningful only when state oversight is transparent, consistent, and impartial.
The safety of the products that people use every day with unquestioning trust must be ensured. Once consumer confidence is undermined, rebuilding it takes a long time.
Public trust in society, the state, and its institutions depends to a considerable extent on that confidence. There must be no opportunity to betray it.
