Think twice before you drink that ‘mango juice’

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday sought a detailed report from provincial and federal governments by August 18 on a writ petition filed against the alleged sale of expired food items and the sale of animal food in the open market for human consumption. The court also asked law officers to identify the law under which persons indulging in these corrupt practices could be brought to justice. Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed during the hearing remarked that cat food is being marketed in Punjab as mango juice for children.  The judge said that the government is sitting idle on this matter but the court would not sit silently.

“The district coordination officers (DCOs) should expose the big fish involved in such heinous crimes instead of apprehending one or two small vendors,” the judge said. The court also directed Deputy Attorney General Naveed Inayat Malik and Assistance Advocate General Shujaat Ali Khan to find those who imported animal juice “Whisks” and sold it in the market as human food.  The court also directed that action should be taken against the availability of imported expired food items in the market.

The court passed this order on a petition filed by Judicial Activism Panel Muhammad chairman Azhar Siddique against the sale of adulterated and dangerous food for human consumption.

The petitioner submitted that expired food items were imported from different countries. The importers changed their expiry dates and sold them in open market. He said recently a special report was aired on a private TV channel which disclosed that imported juice “Whisks” was being sold in the market as mango juice while in fact it was a cat food product.

He said that the district food officer had raided different places and arrested two persons but no crackdown on a massive level was launched against the ‘big fish’ involved in the matter.

He said most animal food was injurious to human consumption and could cause fatal diseases including cancer.

He pointed out that strict laws were implemented around the world on the subject but in Pakistan no stern punishment is suggested in law. He prayed for a direction that stern legislation should be passed under Pakistan Penal Code and Pure Foods Ordinance 1960.  He further prayed to the court to take strict action against the adulterators and the officials involved in such activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2010.