Food authority teams inspect Peshawar schools

PESHAWAR: Four teams of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority on Monday visited various schools in the provincial capital to check hygiene and cleanliness conditions and ensure the ban on the sale of prohibited items.

Over 72 schools were issued warning notices over presence of cold, soft and energy drinks and chips which have been declared injurious to health of the schoolchildren. Assistant Director Food Safety Aneela Mahboob checked the leading private schools situated on the Warsak Road. She said most of the private school canteens and cafeterias were found full of dirt.

She said her team found several school canteens selling energy and soft drinks upon which warning notices were issued to the schools to force them to improve the situation or else strict action would be taken against them.

Assistant Director Saira Nisar found out that many schools were not following food safety standards when she visited schools in Hayatabad. She maintained that most of the food items were found uncovered and that was the reason behind the issuance of notices.

“Most of the private school students were drinking water from taps and from washroom. The students were left with no option but to drink unfiltered and unhygienic water” she revealed. Asad Ali, Assistant Director Food Safety, visited the schools situated on the University Road. He said loose safety standards were observed across the schools.

Ensuring selling of prohibited items to be stopped inside school canteens and cafeterias, he said his staff visited the kitchens of every canteen and to ensure the food safety and hygiene standards. “We have to keep away the students from these items which are injurious to health” he added.