Steps are being taken to ensure manufacturing of safe food products :Kh Salman

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has said that safe and pure food is the basic right of every citizen. He said that government is taking various steps to ensure manufacturing of safe food products and provision of healthy food to the people. He said that scope of Punjab Food Authority is also being enhanced.

He said this while addressing a seminar jointly organized by Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) and NESTLE Pakistan in connection with the World Food Safety Day. Director General Health Punjab Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Director General PCSIR Dr. Shahzad Alam, MD NESTLE Pakistan Magadi Batato, Chief Technical Advisor UNIDO Bruno Valanzuolo and food experts and scientists from all over the country and abroad attended the seminar. MD NESTLE Pakistan said that his organization is playing a vital role in producing pure food products and their quality is appreciated all over the world. He said that human health is the top priority during production of food items.

Moreover, NESTLE Pakistan is also playing its due role in social sector. Kh. Salman Rafique said that food safety and health issues are co-related and supply of pure food can help minimize diseases. He disclosed that according to the WHO estimates, adulterated and substandard food is the cause of more than two hundred diseases. He lauded the role of PCSIR laboratories for ensuring quality food standard and arrangements for analysis of these products according to the international standard. He said that PCSIR has provided an opportunity to the experts by organizing this international seminar on safe food.

He stressed the need to launch a comprehensive awareness campaign among the consumers. He said that this is the joint responsibility of public as well as private sector to join hands to disseminate awareness among the masses about their right of pure food.

Director General Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz said that safe food is also a component of health sector and Health Department would extend cooperation with PCSIR in this field. He said that recommendations of the experts would be consulted for making way forward in this regard.

Earlier, DG PCSIR Dr. Shahzad Aslam threw light on the achievement of their organization. Kh. Salman Rafique also distributed among the participants of the international seminar.