The Sindh Food Authority (SFA) has ordered a private company to immediately withdraw 11 packaged snacks from the market after a laboratory test declared them “unfit” for human consumption.
“— Slanty Vegetable, Snackers Hot Masala, Snackers Pizza, Twitch Classic, Potato Sticks, Cheese Ball Masala, Cheese Balls Cheese, Kai Korean Hot, Kai Spicy Mala, Kai Mala Wok and Kai Korean Kimchi have been found by examination not fit for human consumption,” told SFA Director General Muzamil Hussain Halepoto to Imtiaz Ali from Dawn.
Mr Halepoto directed the management of the said company to withdraw the products from the market within three days.
He asserted that after the deadline, legal action would be taken against the company.
He said around two and a half months ago, the said company had submitted 24 products for registration. The SFA had submitted its samples to the Food Testing Laboratory established at the Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Karachi, which had declared 11 of them unfit for human consumption.
The products were submitted for testing on March 6.
“It was found by examination of the test reports dated April 19 that the products did not meet the minimum required safety and quality standards and, therefore, were not fit for human consumption and pose a potentially significant health hazard to the public and it is also a serious violation of the law and regulations,” said the letter addressed to the private firm on Monday.
The SFA chief has issued an order for “initiating full food recall” against the products.
The DG’s order also provides a ‘remedy’ to the accused person /company. “If it feels aggrieved by such order, (the company/person) may pursue appropriate remedy i.e. appeal under relevant law of the said Act to the SFA Board within a period of one week,” says the letter.
Halepoto called for other provincial food authorities to look into the issue in their respective jurisdiction for the safety of public health.
