KARACHI: The Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (r) Maqbool Baqar has said that the main function of the Sindh Food Authority (SFA) is to ensure that food consumed in the society is safe, hygienic, and maintained with the highest standards of quality, but the food authority has failed to perform.

He directed the Food Authority director general to work out a comprehensive inspection, and operational plan within two weeks, and share it with his secretariat and then keep posting regular performance reports.

He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting of the Sindh Food Authority here at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Secretary Food Nasir Abbas Soomro, DG Food Authority Agha Fakhar, Secretary Planning Asghar Memon, and other officers concerned.

The CM said that food safety, quality and hygiene were not maintained in government hospitals, private hospitals, medical colleges and even Ice factories, sweets and bakers and milk producers/sellers and slaughterhouses were not following the law. "It was the maintain function of the food authority to inspect them and ensure safety and quality," he said and directed the authority officers to be active and work hard.

Baqar said that he had received reports that the mineral water companies, particularly the locals were not following the law to maintain the quality. Similarly, open oil and ghee are sold in the market without adopting the required safety and quality measures.

The DG SFA told the CM that their rules have been framed recently. He said that he would activate his teams and keep inspecting all the institutions involved in preparing/producing food items and ensuring their proper quality and hygiene.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to keep an eye on the performance of the food authority and make it functional in the interest of the general public. He also directed him (CS) to review the issues of the SFA and resolve them so that it could function to its capacity.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 16 2023

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