Islamabad Administration Launches Anti-adulteration Drive

The federal capital administration has launched an anti-adulteration drive across the city to ensure the provision of safe and healthy food to the islooites

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jul, 2020 ) :The Federal capital administration has launched an anti-adulteration drive across the city to ensure the provision of safe and healthy food to the islooites.

The teams comprising assistance commissioners, Tiger Force volunteers, magistrates and police officials carried out raids at several shops and food outlets to check the quality of edibles items, hygienic conditions and other safety standards set under the Pure Food Ordinance.

As per details available with APP on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner (AC) Shalimar sealed three milk shops, one restaurant and one bakery in Mera Abadi and confiscated fake milk powder being used for preparing contaminated milk.

AC Industrial Area during the drive in sector I-8 and I-9 sealed godown of a spice factory and two bakeries. Samples of spices, oil and other material were taken and sent for further testing.

Likewise, AC Saddar inspected industrial units in sector I-10. Samples were taken for legal action as per law.

Magistrate City inspected sector F-7 market for price checking, food adulteration and the SOPs implementation. Around 25 shops were checked while 10 were sealed.

AC City inspected markets in sector G-6 and F-7. A total of 44 shops checked 26 violations were found. Subsequently, three shops and one bakery were sealed and samples were taken and handed over to food department for analysis.

Assistant Commissioner (Saddar), Deputy Director Food, visited salt chakkis, salt distribution depots, whole sale food godowns and distributors, restaurants in their respective jurisdictions.

Some of the salt chakkis and wholesale food godowns were sealed owing to expired items and unhygienic conditions in the area of Sabzi Mandi. Samples of stored vegetables like ginger and others were also taken during the drive.

Furthermore, Assistant Commissioner (Rural) sealed two factories for using expired and hazardous flavours and ingredients, while AC (Koral) sealed two edible oil producing units over producing substandard oil.

Meanwhile, the federal capital dwellers have complained about the low quality meal, being served at road-side setups as well as on restaurants established near the beds of Nullahs, a big health risk to the visitors.

Majority of the outlets were operating in unhygienic conditions, using damaged crockery and dirty tables. Some restaurants even have tables near open drains, they regretted.

They said the authorities were not paying attention to the situation despite knowing the fact that a large number of people especially labor and lower class were visiting those outlets on daily basis.

Abdul Rehman, a taxi driver said he used to eat food on such eateries for many years but now he had stopped eating food on it due to unhygienic environment and sub-standard food.

"Anyone can be a victim of abdominal disease by consuming low quality meal from such outlets as they do not care about people's health except to mint money," he said.

Farhan Ali, a student said the small eateries were also not following the Standard Operating Procedures, set by the district administration in wake of COVID-19.

"I visited last night on a small restaurant operating near Melody market sector �G-6/2 and witnessed that the waiters were serving the food without wearing face masks and gloves.

If appropriate steps were not taken on time, it may be a hotspot for further transmission of coronavirus pandemic," he warned.

Saleem Khan, the owner of a small food outlet near G-7 nullah said he could not afford masks and gloves for his staff, However if the city managers provides him such material he would strictly comply the SOPs.

To a query, he said most of the visitors coming there are low income and could not afford meal on high price, so it was difficult for us to provide quality food by charging them less.

While contacted, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat denied that action had only been taken against high-end outlets.

He said the raids were being carried out by ACs and magistrates randomly in their respective sub-divisions without any discrimination.

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