LAHORE: Selling or serving adulterated and unhygienic food is tantamount to ‘food terrorism’ and is not a not less than murder crime.
This was stated by Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Director Operations Ayesha Mumtaz, while talking to state-owned news agency. She said that the PFA has launched a campaign with the aim to create public awareness about the menace.
Ayesha said that the authority is working to protect the rights of consumers and to ensure that they were served hygienic and healthy food. Referring to her raids at food outlets in the provincial capital during Ramazan, she said that the purpose was to expose the quality of food of big brands, as people visiting big hotels, restaurants and eateries do not worry about the food quality.
The PFA director, who has won praise for her unflinching resolve to root out the menace of adulterated and unhygienic food, and corrupt practices in the food industry, said the road-side food vendors were being given guidelines for serving safe food to their consumers.
Denying allegations of self-projection, Ayesha said that her drive was not against the hotel or restaurant industry only but the entire food industry. She said some 3,000 outlets have been issued notices to improve hygiene at their premises. Only 250 food concerns were sealed out of 6,000 that were raided. She said that a PFA team recently raided an oil factory where oil was being extracted from dead animals. She said that a mafia with vested interests was trying to belittle PFA’s achievements.
To a query, she said that the PFA had also started a campaign against adulterated meat and milk and some 52,000 litres of adulterated milk had been discarded during the last few days. “I, as a team leader, will continue to perform my duties without any fear or favour, as per the mandate given to me by the chief executive of the province, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif,” the PFA officer said.
