Peshawar to have modern food analysis lab: official

PESHAWAR: Director General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety & Halal Food Authority (FS&HFA) Shah Rukh Ali Khan has said the body has planned to establish a modern food analysis laboratory in Peshawar, for which PC-1 worth Rs141.69-million has been prepared.

In addition to the static lab, two mobile food analysis laboratories would also be established at a cost of Rs52 million at the divisional level.Speaking to the media on Monday, Shah Rukh said the authority has deputed all the required staff and provided the required equipment to the Food Analysis Laboratory, Hayatabad.He said the lab would help the authority in the eradication of food adulteration and provision of safe and healthy food to the public.

The official explained that the authority initially started its work in seven divisional headquarter of the province, which has now been extended to 15 more districts, where the food safety teams are ensuring quality food through various interventions.

He stressed the need for trainings for food handlers, and said the authority would soon establish a training school in Peshawar and in the next phase, such schools would be established in the rest of the province.

Similarly, he said that to stop the spread of communicable diseases through food outlets, the authority was establishing a central medical screening laboratory in Peshawar, and a number of such labs would be established at the divisional level in the next phase.

The official said the authority in the last two months inspected 23,625 food-related businesses in the province. During such raids, 62,242 kg/litres of adulterated and substandard material was discarded throughout the province.

Also, 273 businesses were sealed upon the violation of SOPs, and Rs7.2m fine was imposed against them. In the first two months of the current year, 2,822 food businesses were registered with the authority, through which Rs9.6 million funds were received.