LAHORE - The Punjab government is bringing legislative reforms for mandatory fortification of staple foods.
This was said by Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resource Raja Ashfaq Sarwer while addressing a seminar organized by the Punjab Planning and Development Department and the United Nations Pakistan on “Food Security & Nutrition; Strategic Review”, here on Thursday.
Chairman Planning & Development (P&D) Department Jehanzab Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Shamail Khawaja, Members Parliament Sardar Ramaish Singh Arora and Saira Iftikhar, Project Director World Food Programme William Affif, Internal Policy and Research Director for Internal Institute of Food Dr Steve Davis, nutrition and health experts, representatives from civil society and academia attended the seminar.
The minister stressed the need to improve an access to nutritious food for each and every person as food fortification was globally recognised strategy to address deficiencies of micro-nutrition in daily food to strive and thrive.
He said: “We have high levels of mal-nutrition in the country since decades and this nutrition status is gradually getting worst”.
He said mal-nutrition was multi-sectorial problem and the Punjab government had taken steps, including setting up of SUN Secretariat in the P&D building for policy level strategic implementation and mechanism development.