In Bangladesh, a wide spread problem broke out in the earlier 21st century, industrialists started using formaldehyde to preserve food. Usually, formaldehyde is a preservative, which is used to preserve dead bodies and organisms for further study. Additionally, formaldehyde is a very toxic substance, which if taken, can cause cancer and other lethal health problems. Ignoring the harmful effect, people started using formaldehyde(also commonly known as formalin) to preserve vegetables and fruits. Basically, these food stuffs get rotten in a very short time and it's hard to sell these in fresh condition within this short period of time. So, they decided to use formalin to keep these food fresh for several days, so that they can sell it through.
As I said earlier, formalin has a very toxic effect in body, if taken. So, the Govt. has tried to impose many rules and laws to protect food from formalin contamination. Yet, very few results are shown. People in general, had a very little idea about this contamination, and as a result they hardly paid any attention to it. What happened next, was a disaster. Cancer became a very common disease, people suffered from several orthopedic diseases. Since, the rules and laws could help a little, people took it as granted that they have to live like that.
But, there are always some people to come forward in a tough situation.
Recently, A researcher at Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) has invented a cheap and effective way to detect formalin and other harmful chemicals in food.


The researcher, Md Faruq bin Hossain Yamin, says his unique ?colour reaction? test costs just Tk 1(0.0125USD)
He used two solutions complex-1 and complex-2 for the test.
?It is possible to trace formalin and other harmful chemicals within five seconds using these solutions,? he said.
Yamin hoped the retail and wholesale businessmen would be encouraged to adopt the system as it cost only Tk 1 per test.
Presently, 87 kit boxes, supplied by the food ministry, are used to trace the presence of formalin. Though this is not enough to meet the requirements.
He said for the tests, a food item will have to be placed in clear water. From there, a single drop of water has to be mixed with the ?complex solutions?.
?The complex solution will change colour in presence of formalin or other harmful chemicals,? he said.
?Otherwise, the solutions will retain its usual pink colour.?

Yamin said the invention is the result of six months of arduous research in addition to the work he puts into his job.
BARI Director General Md Rafiqul Islam Mandal hoped Yamin?s findings will make testing easy and dispel public fears about presence of formalin and other harmful substances in food. He said agriculture secretary Nazmul Islam will vouch for Yamin's technology. Mandal hoped it would be available to the public ?soon? after formalities are completed. ?With this technology, it will be possible to shun the use of chemicals in food items within two years,? he said.
The cheapest formalin test kit worth Tk 200(2.5USD) was inaugurated at a programme at Bishwa Shahitto Kendro (World Literature Center) on Wednesday in the capital. Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed, HT Imam, political advisor to Prime Minister, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed were present. The test kit can be used a total of 220 times to detect formalin in fruits, fish, vegetables and other food items.
It is the easiest and cheapest way to detect formalin that was certified by BARI and also registered with Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), said the speakers at the programme.
You can watch video, for farther study!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pscl828xnsY