Manufacturing and sale of Vanaspati Ghee would be completely banned by July 2020

Lahore : The Punjab Food Authority has decided ban the manufacturing, sale and purchase of Vanaspati Ghee for its extremely hazardous effects on human body by July 2020 and to restrict quantity of Trans Fatty acids upto 0.5 percent.

This was decided in a meeting Punjab Food Authority Scientific Panel. High quantity of trans-fatty acids, Palmitic acid and nickel are used in manufacturing of Banaspati Ghee as ‘Catalyst’ that may cause fatal diseases like obesity, diabetes, mental diseases, heart diseases and cancer.

In the meeting, it was decided that Trans Fatty acids will be restricted upto 0.5 percent as per “Codex Alimentarius Commission”. Within the period of three years Banaspati Ghee’s manufacturing, selling and purchasing will be completely banned uptill 2020.

Speaking regarding ban, DG PFA Noor Ul Amin said, according to an estimate, annual consumption of cooking oil and ghee for each person is 18 kg in Pakistan whereas it is 3kg in Europe. By keeping in view these facts public is made aware of that Olive Oil, Soya Bean Oil, Sun Flower Oil and other vegetable oil must be consumed instead of Banaspati Ghee.

PFA Director General Noor-ul-Amin Mengal said that our prime concern is to rescue the health of people of Punjab at any cost. Hence to remove any obstacle in the way of this nobles cause is our first priority.