LAHORE: Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Punjab for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Salma Butt, said that the Punjab government is introducing modern reforms in the food safety system to ensure food quality and consumer protection.
Addressing a meeting at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), she said that work is underway on various initiatives, including digitalization, modern monitoring systems, and body cameras, to increase transparency in the operations of the Punjab Food Authority and ensure uniform enforcement of the law. Action against substandard, adulterated, and harmful food products will continue without discrimination, while businesses that comply with the law will be fully encouraged, she added. She expressed the government’s commitment to working with the business community to promote an environment where consumers have access to safe food and businesses can also thrive.
LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol said providing consumers with quality and safe food products is a fundamental responsibility of every civilized society and that the Lahore Chamber has always supported initiatives that ensure the public receives better and quality products. He said honest traders and industrialists should be encouraged, while those involved in adulteration, hoarding, fraud, and the sale of substandard products should face impartial action.
He stressed that the government and business community are partners and that, alongside enforcing regulations, it is essential to take traders into confidence, listen to their concerns, and adopt transparent and simple procedures. He expressed the hope that consultation with trade organizations, the food industry, restaurants, and the retail sector would be further strengthened, while awareness campaigns, training programs, and clear SOPs would help improve the business environment.
In response, Salma Butt said before the meeting she had assumed that the business community might express concerns regarding food safety measures, however, the positive response from the Lahore Chamber encouraged her.
She assured the chamber that food safety measures are not intended to harm businesses but to ensure the protection of citizens’ health and lives. She proposed that the Lahore Chamber and the Punjab Food Authority jointly organize seminars and awareness sessions so that the business community can gain complete understanding of the relevant laws and SOPs.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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