March 25, 2003	Tuesday	Muharram 21, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, March 24: A project to establish a food-testing laboratory in the city has still not been initiated even after a lapse of more than one year following the introduction of the local government system, Dawn has learnt.

The project prepared by the Punjab government was supposed to be launched on July 1, 2001. A site had already been chosen at Khayaban-i-Sir Syed for the purpose. In addition to this, necessary technical staff had also been trained to run the laboratory.

However, the work on the project could not be started due to merging and shifting of different government departments after the introduction of devolution plan, sources said.

Previously, food testing was being carried out by the now defunct municipal corporation to check adulteration. But, now, the task has been assigned to the Health Department. However, selling of sub-standard foodstuff is still continuing.

At present, there is only one food-testing laboratory in Lahore. Establishment of one such laboratory in Rawalpindi has become necessary as both the district food department and the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board have to send food samples to Lahore for quality-testing.

This process has many hurdles, as it takes two to four months to get the results, a food department official said. As a result, selling of adulterated and sub-standard food itmes is rampant in the city and surrounding areas.

The food inspectors concerned of the cantonment board and health department fulfil only formalities and never carry out proper food-checking and samples-collection, the sources said.

The district government has only two food inspectors to collect samples and process them for laboratory testing in Lahore. Previously, they were the employees of the now abolished municipal corporation. The food inspectors collect samples from different shops, wholesalers, retailers, stall-holders, restaurants and dealers of food items, including mills, factories and stores. At an average, 300 samples are collected every month.

These samples are taken from all food items such as milk, flour, grains, spices, juices, drinks, sweets etc.

Similarly, the cantonment board has eight inspectors to collect and process the samples for testing.

According to the food department officials, about 20 to 30 per cent of these samples were found adulterated. The dealers found guilty are put on trial, and the ones against whom adulteration charges are proved are penalized and fined.

But, the samples-collecting processes is totally ineffective as selling of adulterated food items is on the rise in the city as well as in RCB jurisdiction, the sources said.

They said the adulterators usually chose those materials for mixing with food items which could not be detected, irrespective of the harm such harmful stuff caused to health.

The sources said milk was the most adulterated food item. Other things that are adulterated include spices, flour, drinks, sweets etc.

As a result of adulteration, various diseases, specially stomach-related ailments, have spread in the city.