The Punjab Food Authority is in full swing, punishing those selling sub-standard articles of food and drink. However, the authority still needs to focus on two vital points: lukewarm enforcement at the judicial level and lack of public awareness.
Trial courts exonerate offenders of food adulteration citing extreme poverty or ignorance of the law. These excuses are not tenable under Section 28 of the Punjab Pure Food Ordinance, 1960. The section spells out ‘what is or is not a good defence in a prosecution under the ordinance’. Moreover, Section 23 requires offenders to be sentenced to both imprisonment and fine (no ‘and/or’ proviso). Courts generally sentence food offenders to fine with imprisonment ‘till the rising of the court’. This induces apathy in food inspectors. As for the general public, they are ignorant about their right under Section 19(1). They can apply to food inspectors to get food and drinks sampled.
Amjed Jaaved
Rawalpindi