CONSIDERING the lax enforcement of food safety laws in Pakistan, and the general lack of attention towards hygiene, perhaps it is best not to ponder too much about the origins of the food on our plates.

Whether it is street food or meals served in more established eateries, streams of sewage and piles of filth are never too far, located dangerously close to where food is being served.

Even the food we buy for consumption at home is suspect — produce, meat and milk are often stored in a manner that exposes them to dust and insects.

Keeping these grim realities in mind, the decision by Bahawalpur’s District Coordination Officer, as reported in this paper on Monday, to enforce food safety regulations at Ramazan bazaars is welcome.

The official ordered compulsory medical screening of butchers at Ramazan bazaars in the district. This has been done to ensure that meat being sold is free from disease. One look inside most abattoirs in Pakistan, or at the filthy conditions that prevail in most neighbourhood butcher shops, will make one realise the wisdom of this move.

Indeed, those working at abattoirs and butcher shops need to be regularly tested to ensure they are in good health and not passing on any infections through their contact with meat. These checks, along with closer scrutiny of the quality of meat being sold, must be replicated in districts countrywide.

Periodically, zealous officers, such as the DCO in question, take up cudgels against those violating food safety regulations.

The example of a proactive provincial food safety official, who took Lahore by storm last year in her crusade to warn or seal offending eateries, also comes to mind.

However, to improve food safety in the long run, rather than individual attempts, the provincial and municipal bodies dealing with public health must lead the campaign to convince food sellers about the benefits of handling eatables in a hygienic manner. Those who continue to cut corners must be penalised to protect the public’s health.

Published in Dawn, June 21th, 2016