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The sale of substandard and adulterated food and drink is not a new issue in Pakistan. However, during periods such as Ramazan, when vendors of foodstuffs enjoy brisk sales, the need to address this vital public health issue is increasingly felt.
As reports suggest, the authorities have largely failed to tackle the menace of adulteration, which puts the health of consumers at risk. Focusing on Karachi, a report in this newspaper says that the limited number of food inspectors and a tedious legal procedure mean that the city government is unable to keep a check on adulteration. At present there are said to be about 2,500 cases of food adulteration pending before judicial magistrates. As for the number of food inspectors, as per the rules there should be one inspector for a population of 10,000. With Karachi's population hovering around 18 million, 13 food inspectors are clearly not enough. If this is the case in the nation's biggest metropolis, one wonders what the situation is like in other places.
The effects of too few inspectors and a Byzantine legal process are obvious. According to a city government survey of various food items carried out in June, over 20 per cent of the items were found to be either not genuine or in violation of food rules. Apart from the insufficient number of food inspectors, reports from other parts of the country say that in some instances the inspectors are not qualified for their job. The state needs to take food safety seriously. The number of food inspectors in our cities and towns must be increased and eateries' staff better trained. Officials must also be equipped with better technology to test food quality, and empowered through legislation to take swift action against those who flout food safety laws.
