September 28, 2008	Sunday	Ramazan 27, 1429

PESHAWAR, Sept 27: Substandard food items including beverages, pakora, confectionary and stalled fast food are being sold at every nook and corner of the provincial metropolis in Ramazan while the authorities seem least bothered to take action.

Beverages are considered essential item of Iftari but unfortunately with the beginning of Ramazan the market is flooded with products of low quality. Such products are prepared under unhygienic conditions and being sold at a low price along the roadsides by the venders but the food department has turned a blind eye to the situation.

The poverty-stricken people of Frontier have no awareness about health hazards regarding the use of substandard substances by taking the bait of low price. It is the responsibility of the food inspectors to keep a vigilant eye on the food items of inferior quality causing health problems.

A vendor, selling the locally prepared cold drinks, when asked about the low quality of the product, said that he was also using it and found it similar to those of multinational companies, adding that he did not see any side-effects of it.

Rasheed Ahmed, director food, told Dawn that he would direct the concerned officials to take strict action against those involved in the whole process of deceiving people and minting money from them.