Functional foods: PFA directs officials to prepare regulation

LAHORE: Punjab Food Authority Director General (DG) Captain (retd) Muhammad Usman has directed officials to prepare a functional food regulation in order to keep a check and balance on functional foods.

The authority will also take the opinion of a scientific panel for adding such products to the list of functional foods.

Usman said that functional foods are prepared by adding pharmaceutical ingredients or a larger quantity of existing ingredients. He said that several suggestions are under observation regarding functional foods, for instance, bringing functional foods in PFA’s registration circle besides that of the Drug Regulatory Authority.

PFA will also introduce legislation in the functional foods regulations against those functional food products which are being sold at local shops without a prescription.

The director general said that according to a survey report, citizens are using functional foods as normal food items. PFA will take sellers on board regarding separate counters for functional foods and other food items. He said that the purpose of bringing the functional foods regulations is to make citizens aware about the differences between normal food stuffs and functional foods.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2018.