Setting standards
KARACHI:
A large van whizzes through into a crowded market and a team of food experts come out to test the quality of eatables available.
Pakistan’s first mobile testing laboratory, which is equipped with facilities to gauge the quality of food being sold, is paying unannounced visits to the city’s popular open markets.
Under the supervision of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), officers raided various areas in its week-long campaign including DHA’s Sunday Bachat Bazaar, the Wednesday market near Aladdin Water Park and many other marketplaces in the city.
“As soon as they arrive, the team announces their presence by the public address system of the market and asks people to avail the food testing facilities on the spot absolutely free,” PSQCA media adviser Rehmatullah Memon told The Express Tribune. The PSQCA team randomly collected samples from different stalls especially ghee, oil, bottled water, tea and spices to carry out tests in their mobile laboratory and after the tests, announced the results to the public.
During the raid on the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Wednesday market, PSQCA director quality control centre Masood Ahmad Khan and Standards Development Centre assistant director Jawaid Hussain Siddiqui announced the test report of products and highlighted that Malta, a brand of M/s Agro Processor and Atmospheric Gases (Pvt) Ltd, had failed in meeting the quality standards due to an increased peroxide value, high rancidity and absence of vitamin contents. They also caught unregistered and substandard Premium Tea of M/s Benlays Consumer Products.
The PSQCA raiding team immediately confiscated the total supply of Malta and Premium Tea from all the stalls of the Wednesday market.
“We have a team of experts who are thoroughly trained in testing quality standards of food and other items,” Memon explained. “The process takes about 30 minutes depending on the type of product being tested.” PSQCA is going to expand its activities and its mobile testing laboratory will be visiting all over Karachi and other parts of the country as well, Memon added.
“To achieve its core objectives of ensuring good health and safety of the people, PSQCA is authorised to take action against the manufacturers of substandard and potentially hazardous products,” he said.
According to a PSQCA official, people have appreciated the work done by them. “People have asked us to continue this practice in the public interest,” he said.
Furthermore, Memon said that a warning had been issued to the management of all the open markets that all the products up for sale will be scrutinised. He also requested the public to check for the Pakistan Standard (PS) mark on different products before purchasing them. He was of the view that if the general public cooperated with them and identified poor-quality products, then PSQCA would be able to confiscate the products and take action against the people selling them.
He also pointed out that some people think that the products with Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s (PCSIR) label are up to the mark but he clarified that only PSQCA had the authority to approve the quality of something. “The PSQCA is the only body that can award approval certificates while PCSIR only conducts tests,” Memon explained.
PSQCA officials told The Express Tribune that they have also sent their team members to open markets as buyers where they will purchase the products and bring them in for testing. After the tests are done, the PSQCA will file cases against the makers of those products.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2010.
A large van whizzes through into a crowded market and a team of food experts come out to test the quality of eatables available.
Pakistan’s first mobile testing laboratory, which is equipped with facilities to gauge the quality of food being sold, is paying unannounced visits to the city’s popular open markets.
Under the supervision of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), officers raided various areas in its week-long campaign including DHA’s Sunday Bachat Bazaar, the Wednesday market near Aladdin Water Park and many other marketplaces in the city.
“As soon as they arrive, the team announces their presence by the public address system of the market and asks people to avail the food testing facilities on the spot absolutely free,” PSQCA media adviser Rehmatullah Memon told The Express Tribune. The PSQCA team randomly collected samples from different stalls especially ghee, oil, bottled water, tea and spices to carry out tests in their mobile laboratory and after the tests, announced the results to the public.
During the raid on the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Wednesday market, PSQCA director quality control centre Masood Ahmad Khan and Standards Development Centre assistant director Jawaid Hussain Siddiqui announced the test report of products and highlighted that Malta, a brand of M/s Agro Processor and Atmospheric Gases (Pvt) Ltd, had failed in meeting the quality standards due to an increased peroxide value, high rancidity and absence of vitamin contents. They also caught unregistered and substandard Premium Tea of M/s Benlays Consumer Products.
The PSQCA raiding team immediately confiscated the total supply of Malta and Premium Tea from all the stalls of the Wednesday market.
“We have a team of experts who are thoroughly trained in testing quality standards of food and other items,” Memon explained. “The process takes about 30 minutes depending on the type of product being tested.” PSQCA is going to expand its activities and its mobile testing laboratory will be visiting all over Karachi and other parts of the country as well, Memon added.
“To achieve its core objectives of ensuring good health and safety of the people, PSQCA is authorised to take action against the manufacturers of substandard and potentially hazardous products,” he said.
According to a PSQCA official, people have appreciated the work done by them. “People have asked us to continue this practice in the public interest,” he said.
Furthermore, Memon said that a warning had been issued to the management of all the open markets that all the products up for sale will be scrutinised. He also requested the public to check for the Pakistan Standard (PS) mark on different products before purchasing them. He was of the view that if the general public cooperated with them and identified poor-quality products, then PSQCA would be able to confiscate the products and take action against the people selling them.
He also pointed out that some people think that the products with Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s (PCSIR) label are up to the mark but he clarified that only PSQCA had the authority to approve the quality of something. “The PSQCA is the only body that can award approval certificates while PCSIR only conducts tests,” Memon explained.
PSQCA officials told The Express Tribune that they have also sent their team members to open markets as buyers where they will purchase the products and bring them in for testing. After the tests are done, the PSQCA will file cases against the makers of those products.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2010.