3 new food authority offices approved

LAHORE:

The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) chairman has approved new offices in Gujranwala, Multan and Rawalpindi.

The decision was taken during a board meeting chaired by Justice (r) Amir Raza Khan here on Tuesday.

The government had earlier allocated Rs100 million for the new offices. However, the funds have not been released yet.

The authority is already setting up an office in Faisalabad.

The board on Tuesday also decided to establish a computerised information system (CIS) which would equip field officers with real time access to the PFA’s data base.

For this, the food safety officers will be given computer tablets.

A data base would also be prepared with information of all food manufactures or sellers and their history with the authority (notices served in the past and licences issued). The estimated cost of setting up the CIS is Rs5 million.

The board also decided that manufacturers of iodised salt and cream milk would need to meet the standards set by the authority. The suggestion was made the scientific panel of the PFA.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2014.