The cost of diet has been recognized as a major determinant of overall diet quality and nutritional outcomes. We aimed to estimate the minimum cost and affordability of the recommended diet based on the updated food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) in Bangladesh. To compute the cost of the recommended diet (CoRD), we collected retail prices of foods corresponding to each of the food groups in the latest Bangladeshi FBDG. For affordability, the household size and daily food expenditure data were used from the most recent Household Income and Expenditure survey (HIES). The CoRD was calculated based on the average number of servings recommended for each food group; the CoRD was adjusted by a deflation factor and divided by the household’s daily food expenditure to estimate affordability. We found that the CoRD was $0.87 (83 BDT) per person per day at the national level. Nationally, about 43% of households could not afford the CoRD, with rural areas bearing a disproportionate share of the burden. We also found households to overspend on starchy staples while underspending on protein-rich foods, fruits, and dairy. These findings highlight the need for immediate implementation of interventions to improve the affordability of the CoRD and redesign policy instruments to create a sustainable food system.

In Bangladesh, ensuring food safety from various hazardous contaminants, including heavy metals in different food items, has become a significant policy concern. This systematic review aimed to summarize the heavy metal contamination of locally produced fruits in Bangladesh and estimate the subsequent health risks of heavy metals upon consumption of reported fruits. A total of 1458 articles were retrieved from PubMed, Google Scholar, and manual Google searching, of which 10 were included in the current review. Health risks associated with the intake of these metals were evaluated in terms of estimated daily intake and carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks by target cancer risk, target hazard quotient, and hazard index. The heavy metal concentrations (mg/kg of fresh edible weight) in the fruits were As (ND-1.3), Cd (ND-0.64), Pb (ND-2.4), Cr (ND-2.5), Mn (ND-570), Ni (ND-9.0), Cu (0.5-32), Zn (0.24-134), and Hg (ND-0.006). The concentration of different heavy metals in various fruits particularly in the banana, mango, jackfruit, guava, litchi, blackberry, lemon, and tamarind fruit, were higher than the maximum acceptable concentration. All of the metals were consumed daily in amounts below the maximum tolerated daily intake for all fruits. The results showed that, except for As, all metals’ target hazard quotients were below the safety level. The target hazard quotient for strawberry, guava, mango, pineapple, banana, and papaya surpassed the safety level. On the other hand, the target cancer risk levels of As, Cd, Cr, and Ni were higher than the acceptable levels for most fruit items, suggesting that long-term exposure to these toxic metals may raise the risk of developing various malignancies, including stomach and lung cancer. A more integrated strategy to reduce the contamination burden of heavy metals in fruits is important to conserve the health of the population.

Bangladesh has significantly reduced child undernutrition, yet micronutrient deficiencies and diet-related non-communicable diseases remain pressing challenges. While the afordability of healthy diets is recognized as a key determinant of nutrition outcomes, limited attention has been paid to the uncertainties that affect diet costs and access over time. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the major drivers of uncertainty in the cost of healthy diets in Bangladesh and their implications for nutrition policy. This study emloyed foresight tools to explore future uncertainties affecting the cost and accessibility of healthy diets in Bangladesh. Key drivers of change, such as climate variability, market dynamics, income inequality, and dietary behavior, were identified through a structured expert workshop. Two critical uncertainties were selected using the 2 × 2 scenario planning method: food price volatility and changing dietary patterns. These formed the basis for four plausible future scenarios, each illustrating different trajectories for nutrition and food system outcomes. This foresight approach supports proactive, multisectoral policymaking by highlighting potential risks and opportunities for ensuring affordable, nutritious diets in a changing context. The resulting scenarios underscore the need for integrated, multisectoral strategies to build resilient food systems, improve the affordability of nutrient-rich foods, and promote dietary behavior change.