PESHAWAR
The director general Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Food Safety and Halal Food Authority Shahrukh Ali Khan has said the authority in collaboration with the Food department to legislate for food fortification in the province.
He said that the legislation would boost the performance of the KP Food authority to control deficiency of nutrients in food, reducing a number of health complications.
He expressed these views while addressing a progress review meeting of food fortification organized by Nutrition International in Peshawar.
DG Food Safety Authority said we are facing a number of challenges in ensuring safe food to the people, which along with personal, premises and food hygiene also include chemical contamination of food.
He maintained that for the availability of fortified food in the market there is a need of creating demand for it, which could be done by spreading awareness related to benefits of it among the general public.
Shahrukh Ali Khan said the Authority is further strengthening its technical capacity, and seven mobile food testing laboratories will be operational soon in the divisional headquarters of the province. He said work on the static laboratory in Hayatabad is also in full swing, he added.
The event was attended by experts from various fields including health, food, public health among others.
Addressing to the event Dr Khwaja Masood Ahmad said 70 percent of the population in our country cannot afford nutritious food; and public health can be affected in case of deficiency of Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, and Zinc.
He said the deficiency may result in malnutrition, Anemia, Neural Tube defects, hair loss, weak immune system among others.
Dr Khwaja Masood said various food items can be fortified easily in a cost effective manner, which will not put any burden on the consumers. In Pakistan the fortification mainly focuses on Salt, Oil & Ghee and flour.
He said the Nutrition International is working with targeted mills for the purpose.
Director Nutrition, Dr Fazal Majeed said the implementation of food fortification is our collective responsibility and each of us should actively play their role for the welfare of the general public.
He said awareness could play a very important role in it, and the public should be engaged through various platforms.
