KARACHI: University students, members of civil society and representatives from food business and government institutions staged an awareness rally on Tuesday to mark World Food Day.

The theme for this year’s celebration was “Right to Food for a Better Life and a Better Future”, emphasising the importance of ensuring access to adequate, nutritious and safe food for all.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Food Authority (SFA) Director General (DG) Muzamil Hussain Halepoto said that ensuring food security and combating hunger was essential for improving the quality of life and fostering sustainable development.

According to a press release, he also emphasised that the authority was actively working across all the districts of Sindh to ensure food safety while raising public awareness about healthy eating habits and the importance of hygiene through awareness campaigns.

The DG reiterated that under the Sindh Food Authority Act, no food business could operate without a license from the authority. “We have activated the food authority by focusing first on human resources and increased the number of inspections to ensure that hygiene standards are met. Non-compliance results in heavy fines.”

He added: “A crackdown against chemically adulterated milk is underway across Sindh, and we have inspected more than 9,000 shops in the past month.”

All food business operators were urged to obtain licenses from the SFA which had issued over 5,000 licenses that month alone, he said.

Mr Halepoto also noted that there was zero tolerance for adulteration and the sale of expired or substandard food products. Heavy fines were being imposed for such violations, he said.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2024