Safe food

The Sindh government has set up a provincial food authority, following the model that has worked in Punjab. Since 20111, when it was set up, the Punjab Food Authority has sealed scores of eateries, ignoring influence and wealth to keep consumers safe from unhygienically prepared food and items which use adulterated or contaminated ingredients. Most recently, it has cracked down on school canteens, banning soda drinks, energy drinks, packaged chips and a host of other items. Simultaneously, a campaign has been launched in the press to educate parents about the need to guard against what their children eat and to recognise that bottled beverages or even packaged fruit juices are not healthy choices. However, despite this mammoth effort, which can only be applauded, problems persist. On Monday in the Manawan area on the outskirts of Lahore, three children died after eating toffees or sweets that were apparently toxic. The PFA has sealed 31 outlets across the area attempting to detect what poison the candy contained and to track down the manufacturer. In Peshawar too, the provincial food authority has been active, visiting school canteens and ordering illicit material including gutka, energy drinks, soda drinks, and other packaged foods to be removed.

The food problem is a gargantuan one. Everywhere in the country, adulterated or unhygienically prepared food is on sale. Supreme Court orders have in the past been issued on the issues of milk adulteration, water quality and food preparation. The authority in Punjab has been extremely energetic and meticulous in performing its inspection and penalisation duties. But sadly, even so, only a limited difference has been made. Items that were banned because of the health risks they were found to pose are still easily available in the market. So are packaged food snacks that were also banned. The efforts of the PFA in particular are commendable. However, they need to be combined with an assurance from governments they will not cave in to powerful commercial interests and that a mass awareness campaign will accompany the campaigns in each province. It is only when consumers themselves are aware of the risks they pose to themselves and their children by buying unsafe food that these items will begin to vanish from counters. The task is an extremely difficult one, but with the rate of disease caused by contaminated water and food, it is something we desperately need to persevere with to try and keep our populations safe in every city, town and village.