LAHORE: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) is implementing a food safety system with the help of hotel owners, and it is based on public-friendliness and principles of hygiene, PFA Director General Dr Sajid Chauhan announced on Thursday.
Chauhan said that a comprehensive ordinance is being introduced with regard to the legal framework of Punjab Food Authority, hotels and restaurants’ categorisation. Punjab Food Authority is introducing a food safety culture for the provision of quality and unadulterated food to the consumers, with the cooperation of hoteliers and restaurateurs, he added. He was addressing a training workshop for restaurant owners and managers on the provision of hygienic food in accordance with health standards.
The workshop was organized by Punjab Food Authority and Special Monitoring Units to Chief Minister. Chauhan said that hotels and restaurants owners should arrange training of their kitchen staffs, waiters and other employees with regard to principles of hygiene, in the interest of the health of the citizens. He said that implementation of rules and regulations of Punjab Food Authority is the responsibility of hotels and restaurants owners, so that safe and quality food could be provided to the people. Punjab Food Authority will inspect all hotels and restaurants regarding implementation of rules and regulations and a method of grading will be evolved under its scoring system, he announced.
The PFA DG said that hotels and restaurants owners should not compromise on the standard and hygienic principles, and announced that teams of Punjab Food Authority will pay surprise visits to different hotels and restaurants of different categories to check sanitary conditions and the materials being used in the preparation of food. He further said that hotels owners should pay special attention to cleanliness in the kitchens, as unhygienic food results in food poisoning, diarrhoea, besides affecting kidneys and eyesight. Chauhan said Punjab Food Authority is discharging its duties in the interest of public health and most of hotels owners have extend all-out cooperation to its officials during inspections.
He said that no injustice has been done to anyone and the checking process will continue without indiscrimination. Hotel and restaurant owners could send their proposals to Punjab Food Authority’s website www.punjabfoodauthority.gov.com, email address punjabfoodauthority@hotmail.com and toll-free number 0800-02345, the PFA director general said. Deputy Director Operations Food Saqib Aziz and food experts gave a briefing to hotel and restaurant owners regarding food safety. Owners of more than sixty prominent hotels and restaurants, managers, food experts, consumers, chefs and food safety officers were present on the occasion.
