NAB asks SFA to proactively guard against substandard products

The director general (DG) of the Sindh Food Authority (SFA), Amjad Ali, Thursday briefed the director general of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Karachi, Mohammad Altaf Bawany, about the functions, organisational structure, scope and operational hurdles faced by the newly created food authority.

The authority works under Sindh Food Act 2016. The briefing was organised under the Awareness & Prevention Regime of the NAB Karachi at its office. The director operations of the food authority also attended briefing.

On the occasion, the director general of NAB Karachi, suggested that SFA officers should ensure the delivery of healthy items through associations of butchers and flour mills. He said that Halal certification must be confirmed through the Customs Authority for imported edible items.

Bawany suggested that oil manufactures should be monitored and rancid oil for cooking purposes, especially fryers, should be checked for general health, especially of the children.

The NAB official advised the SFA team to proactively engage in an integrated and multifaceted campaign producers and vendors that were delivering substandard food to end consumers, especially focusing on substandard flour, edible oil, dairy products and other basic food commodities.

It was further stressed that preventive measures needed to be adopted within their department to curtail corruption and any such activity should be reported to NAB. —APP News Desk adds: The Sindh government had approved ithe launch of a food inspection drive in April to examine quality processes of every food place running in Karachi.

The food inspection drive started with its first check on hotels, restaurants and hospital canteens. The food authority had then said that all five-star hotels, big or small restaurants, bakeries, sweets sellers and other eateries would be provided a licence once they passed the inspection, which would be mandatory for any eatery to continue business.

Director Operations Sindh Food Authority Abrar Sheikh had reportedly said that it was obligatory for every food platform to maintain hygiene and carry out cleanliness measures for the preparation and storage of food. Chairman All Restaurant Association Shaukat Ali Suleman had said a restaurant management had also been formed to improve the quality of food provision.