“Food Safety Day” is celebrated to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. But Food adulteration and wastage continues in Pakistan despite supply concerns and now with Covid-19, a pandemic that shook the entire world badly. Just about yesterday, there was news about Punjab Food Authority DG Irfan Memon raided on beverages in a local factory. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, food and beverage adulteration has continued unhindered in Pakistan with authorities having had to seize and discard thousands of units of dairy, fruits, spices and other items despite continuing food supply fears in the country.

Punjab which is the most populous province of Pakistan has reported numerous adulteration cases of food and beverages which lead to discards and wastage. In a series of raids conducted by PFA from mid-April till date, 1000s of litres of adulterated milk were seized and discarded from direct-sale milk shops and milk transport vehicles.

Milk containing powder, chemicals and polluted water was confirmed to be present in the milk. But milk is not the only problem Punjab is facing; authorities also destroyed spices found to expired and contaminated by animal contact and/or droppings as well as hazardous fake betel nuts with the potential to cause oral cancer and tooth decay.

MARINA PERVAIZ,

Lahore.