LAHORE: Under its newly finalised regulations, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has advised owners of canteens, cafeterias, mess of all educational institutions as well as shopkeepers, vendors and food business operators to make training mandatory on hygiene and food handling in a manner prescribed by the authority.

Similarly, every institution has been advised to devise a monitoring mechanism by constituting committees to ensure availability of hygienic food for students. The new regulations, titled ‘The Punjab Educational institutions Food Standards Regulations, 2017’, have been recently approved by the PFA’s board of directors, according to a senior official of the authority.

“The core objective of these regulations, which are being introduced for the first time, is to ensure availability of food that is cost effective, hygienic, nutritious and free of adulteration to students of educational institutions in order to promote better mental and physical health and development of students,” PFA Director General Noorul Amin Mengal told Dawn on Monday.

According to the regulations, food meant anything used as food or drink for human consumption other than the drugs, including any substance intended for use in the preparation of food, any flavouring agent or condiment, any colouring matter intended for use in the food, chewing gum, confectionary and other products of similar nature, water in any form, including ice intended for human consumption or preparation of food and any other thing prescribed as food.

“Every educational institution shall formulate its own monitoring committee headed by the principal of the educational institution. However in case of universities, any authorised person may be appointed as head of such committee in order to implement these regulations,” stated the regulations document. “The parents of students or any other person may register their complaints with the PFA in case of any violation of these regulations.”

Mengal hoped that by implementing the new regulations there would be a positive change in the physical and mental growth of a huge number of youngsters.

Meanwhile, a spokesman said the PFA on Monday sealed a popular juice factory on Sheikhupura road for using chemicals injurious to health and producing the product in an environment posing threats to hygiene, safety and handling.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2017