Minister reviews PFA performance

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Food Samiullah Chaudhry Friday chaired a meeting and reviewed the planning and action plan of PFA for 2019. The Punjab Food Authority has set targets for the current year about vigilance and technical wings.

PFA Director General Muhammad Usman gave a briefing about working and achievements of the authority during the year 2018. The DG informed the meeting that the vigilance cell had discarded a huge quantity of adulterated and unwholesome food worth Rs310 million in 2018. Mostly action was taken against tainted milk and fake carbonated beverages in Punjab. PFA had also conducted 47,671 medical screening tests of food handlers among 4,017 were found ill.

Further, PFA food lab cleared 6,419 food samples out of 13,716. Trainers trained 28,890 food workers in Level-I training course. Similarly, headquarters wing heard as many as 6,881 cases of different food-related issues during said period.

It is pertinent to mention here that the minister will take briefing of PFA remaining wings (including resources, licensing, admin and PR) in next week. The minister appreciated the progress of PFA in 2018. He has directed the authority to develop the strategy for bringing diversity in the scientific panel and enlarge the circle of awareness campaign.