Food quality: Food Authority braces for province-wide operation

Divisional task forces required to meet twice a month to review performance.

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has set up district- and divisional- level task forces to expand its operations across the province. The task forces will be responsible for inspection of eateries for food quality and hygiene standards, PFA Director General Sajid Chohan said on Tuesday.

He was briefing Food Minister Bilal Yasin on amendments undertaken in the Punjab Pure Food Rules. The minister was told that through the recent amendments the Food Department had been authorised to modify PFA’s rules of business. He said earlier the power had been vested with the Health Department.

The PFA director general said that divisional task forces were required to hold two meetings in a month to review their performance. He said from next week he would start visiting the newly established task forces to review their operations.

Further, he said a committee had been formed and tasked with training of task force members. One such training had already been held, he added.

The food minister asked the PFA to continue its inspection campaign and ensure that eateries were serving good quality food to their customers. He said regulation of the food industry was a responsibility of the government and no negligence would be tolerated in this regard.

The meeting was also attended by Food Secretary Pervez Ahmad and Food director Asif Aqbal Lodhi.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2015.