Waste not want not: Punjab wants you to share food you can’t finish

New food disposal regulations allow NGOs to procure excess food from eateries

LAHORE: In a bid to help the poor and the needy and put a halt to food wastage, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has forwarded a draft for its earlier-proposed ‘Disposal of Excess Food Regulations’ to the provincial law department. A formal notification in this regard is expected to be released soon.

Drafted over six months ago, the new rules will spell the process with which Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) will be able to supply excess and unused food from different eateries and restaurants across Punjab to deserving individuals.

Per the rules, the NGOs interested in the operation must get themselves registered with the Punjab Food Authority and also obtain a food license. On the other hand, the PFA will not collect any official fee from the licensed NGOs after confirming that food is being delivered to the poor free of charge.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Director-General Punjab Food Authority Captain (R) Usman Younus said that more than 40% of food is wasted by factories, restaurants and eateries in the province.

“We have made this system to provide food to the poor. The Punjab Food Authority will remain part of the effort to ensure the quality of the food,” he said.

The unused food will be packaged and stored per the rules and standards of the food authority and if there is a violation of the rules in packaging and storage, then action will be taken against the NGOs concerned.

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According to a clause given in the law, if any food consumer contracts a disease even after adequate food packaging and storage standards have been maintained in good faith, the PFA will not initiate any proceedings against the NGO pertaining to criminal negligence.

Food operators and NGOs will be obliged to provide timely details to the authority regarding unused food, while food manufacturers will be required to minimise the level of unused food in their factories by 2025.

A “point-based system” will also be introduced for food operators providing unused food under which they will be given some concessions.

According to details, Captain (R) Usman Younus, immediately after taking charge of his post, started preparing rules and regulations to prevent large-scale food wastage at major hotels, restaurants and eateries.

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He wrote the draft after consulting all the stakeholders. However, some NGOs had filed a writ petition in this regard in the Lahore High Court. During the hearing, the high court directed the food authority to consider the stance of the NGOs and incorporate their justified recommendations in the draft rules. The NGOs were adamant that the Punjab Food Authority should allow them to conduct the operation without registration and not impose a condition for obtaining a license.

However, PFA rejected the proposal and maintained that registration and licensing are mandatory to ensure compliance with the rules regarding food quality. The Food Authority has added a clause, according to which after confirming that the NGO is providing unused food to deserving individuals, licensing fee will be exempt.

Food operators will also be registered with the authority and PFA staff will ensure that the quality and packaging of unused food is good and fit for consumption. The food operators will also have to ensure that they would distribute unused food to poor people at their own expense.

Food items seized during raids by the PFA will also be supplied to deserving people through the authorised NGOs. Food factories, especially in terms of bakery items, should ensure that food supplied to the registered NGOs still has time to reach its expiration date.

“We have to ensure that NGOs deliver food to the poor in the right way,” the Director-General Punjab Food Authority said. “The major part of the job rests with the NGOs as they would be supplying the food to the poor at their own expense.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2019.