PFA asked to tighten noose around makers of substandard milk

The Supreme Court here on Thursday directed the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) to tighten the noose around the manufacturers and sellers of substandard milk. The court adjourned for a month the hearing of petition against sale of substandard milk and directed the PFA to submit reports of the samples.
Earlier, PFA Director General Noorul Ameen Mengal stated before the court that effective measures were being taken to ensure provision of quality milk and food to citizens. He said the authority had been taking strict actions against venders of unhygienic food and milk. Mengal told the court that milk samples of 21 companies had been taken and sent to the PCSIR for examination.
He further stated that Punjab Food Standards and Quality Regulations 2017 had been drafted and it would be notified shortly in order to align the existing rules with international standards. The new rules would require pre-qualification of imported raw material to be registered with the PFA, so that usage of substandard imported products may be curbed.
A report submitted by PFA DG revealed that pasteurised milk of Doce had been found safe for human consumption, however, traces of E-Coli were detected in it. E-Coli is a bacterium commonly found in intestines of humans and other animals, some strains of which can cause severe food poisoning. Samples of Gourmet, Engro Foods, Sharif Dairy, Fauji Foods and Prema had also been found fit for human consumption, the report said. The petitioner, Zafarullah Khan, expressed concerns over the report and said the samples had been taken in winter season in which shelf life of milk was long as compared to the summer season.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar assured the petitioner that the court would also have the samples examined in summer season. The chief justice observed that the court wanted to ensure that every child of the country consumes safe milk. The action against the adulterated milk should not be restricted to Punjab province only, rather it should be expanded to the whole country, the CJP addded.