Include iodine in salt or face action, PFA warns companies

Health dept organises training programme for salt processors


Our Correspondent November 30, 2017
PHOTO: PFA

MULTAN: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has given last deadline of February 15, 2018, to companies to include iodine in the salt. The companies are directed to produce quality salt without any inclusion of harmful chemicals.

This was said by PFA Director General Noorul Ameen Mengal.

He said that teams of PFA visited the salt manufacturing companies and a list of suggestions for improvement had been handed over to them.

He said that companies were directed to follow the instructions and improve the quality of salt. “All companies have been directed to include iodine and other necessary ingredients in salt,” he maintained. He said that strict action would be taken against the violators at the end of the given deadline.

Universal Salt Iodisation Programme Zonal Manager Zaheer Abbas said severe iodine deficiency causes mental retardation, low mental capability, goiter, stillbirths, speech and hearing impairment and reproductive failure.

He said that a special training programme for salt processors in Multan was also organised by the joint collaboration of health department and The Nutrition International.

He pointed out that severe iodine deficiency in school children reduced from 23% to 2% due to effective implementation of salt iodisation programme.

He added that iodine deficiency in mothers also reduced from 37% to 4% as depicted in national Nutrition Survey 2011.

Abbas appreciated the initiative taken by the Punjab government regarding inclusion of iodine and other necessary ingredients in production of salt. He advised the companies producing salt to strictly adhere to the deadline given to them.

Earlier, the PFA sealed a nimko factory and imposed fine on 21 eateries for poor cleanliness arrangements in the city. The PFA team raided a nimko factory on Masoom Shah Road. The officials sealed it over preparing substandard products and sent samples of spicy colours being used in nimko to laboratory for analysis.

The Punjab food Authority has sealed several factories and shops involved in making unhygienic edible items, including sweets and oil.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2017.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ