The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has left people at the mercy of eateries that provide unhygienic food during sehr and iftar, The Express Tribune has learnt.
PFA has the responsibility of checking the quality of food being sold in restaurants, markets and bazaars. During Ramazan, food is generally available to people from 5pm till 3am.
However, PFA officials are still working in two shifts that end before iftar. Resultantly, there are no arrangements for checking eateries late night or around sehr.
PFA was established under the Punjab Food Authority Act, 2011. It has been authorised to monitor food items being sold in the city. Earlier, the function was performed by the District Food Office. During Ramazan, District Food officials used to perform their duties until 9pm.
PFA officials, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune that a number of food safety officers (FSOs) and assistant food safety officers (AFSOs) were performing duties in the 25 Ramazan bazaars setup in the city by the district government.
“The rest of the officers come into the field at around 12pm and are on duty till 6pm or 6:30. The authority failed to change the general duty hours during Ramazan,” the officials said.
According to an assistant food safety officer, the oil used for frying samosas and pakoras is usually substandard and unhygienic.
“When officials start checking these outlets, frying has just begun. These vendors take the previous days’ leftover oil and mix it with fresh oil.
However, the oil becomes unhygienic as time passes… then there is no one to monitor them,” the official said.
He said same was case with ketchup. “Roadside fast food eateries who use substandard ketchup usually start their business at 9pm. However, food monitoring officials end their shifts around 8pm,” the official said.
Samnabad Town Food Safety Officer Saba Nasir told The Express Tribune that PFA officials were performing duties in Ramazan bazaars and also monitoring eateries.
“Duty of officials, who are monitoring eateries, starts at around 12 noon and it ends some time before or after iftar,” she said.
She, however, refused to respond to a question about how the officials monitored food outlets that were open from iftar till sehr.
PFA Lahore Operations Deputy Director Saqib Munir said proper Ramazan duties would be in place from next week.
“The officers check food preparation before iftar and soon they will also start checking food outlets after iftar,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2014.