AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Lahore, January 18, 2017 (PPI-OT): Adulteration should be tackled with iron hands. Pakistan is the 4th largest milk producing country with annual production of 42 million tones but it is a matter of concern that we are also at top in production of adulterated milk.
This was crux of the speeches delivered at a seminar on “Milk Adulteration” jointly organized by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Livestock and Dairy Development Department here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The LCCI President Abdul Basit, Vice President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan, Secretary Livestock, Naseem Sadiq, Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College, Dr. Mehmood Shaukat, Chairman ENT, Jinnah Hospital Dr. Rashid Zia, renowned Nutritionist Ms. Jaweria Mahmood, Principal Smart School System Lahore Ms. Hina Bader, LCCI Executive Committee Members Mian Zahid Javed, Shahrarukh Jamal, former Executive Committee Members Khawaja Khawar Rasheed, Zafar Mahmood and Haji Muhammad Akram addressed the seminar.
All the participants were of the view that strict action should be taken against the adulterators who are putting the precious human lives and soft image of the country on stake. They said that phenomenon of adulteration of food, particularly of milk has become one of the most serious problems in the country. Dangerous ingredients like detergent, foreign fat, starch, sodium hydroxide, caustic soda, sugar, urea, pond water, salt, sodium carbonate, formalin and ammonium sulphate are being used for the making of counterfeited milk.
Punjab Secretary for Livestock and Dairy Development Nasim Sadiq said that soon a complaint cell will be established to address the complaints of milk adulteration. He said that demands of milkmen are under consideration wile direct link between them and consumers would be established as middle man is responsible for milk price hike and adulteration.
He said that the provincial government is making all out efforts for the development of livestock farming as growth of this sector will result in overall growth of GDP. He said that a large component of Punjab’s population depends on farming and the government wants to guarantee their prosperity by providing them facilities associated with the livestock and dairy sector.
The LCCI President Abdul Basit said that judiciary deserves appreciation for taking notice of the milk adulteration that is a crime against the humanity. He said that those elements should be taken to the justice, who are playing with the human lives besides tarnishing the soft image of the country.
He said that Pakistan should avail full advantage of the God-gifted resources in dairy and livestock sectors. He said that there is an urgent need for the development of commercial processing plant in highly milk areas of Pakistan that would increase the milk processing capacity up to 97% instead of existing 5 to 8 percent. He said that commercial processing plants would also help the milk free from adulteration.
The LCCI Vice President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan urged the government to establish dairy research institute for development of dairy and dairy value added products that would contribute considerably to the national exports.
All the experts said that dairy industry in Pakistan should be regulated and strict check and balance system should be implemented to control food adulteration as over 90% people are using adulterated milk.
For more information, contact:
Information Department
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)
11-Shahrah-e-Aiwan-e-Tijarat,
Lahore -54000, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-111-222-499
Fax: +92-42-36368854
Website: www.lcci.org.pk