The right way forward

The writer is a freelance columnist
and former newspaper editor.
The recent actions by the Punjab Food Authority, a body we had barely heard about till it was taken over by the dynamic Ayesha Mumtaz, has in the first place illustrated how effective government can be – when it governs.
The government should really be playing a much bigger part in the lives of people, and the PFA has illustrated how this can happen. Its raids on eateries – big and small – as well as food preparation factories has exposed a great deal about the quality and hygiene of the food we pay for, and also about the content of what is being sold to us, in some cases through open deception.
Yes, the PFA has created a wave; it has become the talk of the town in Lahore and is now expanding its actions into other cities. But creditable as its actions are, the role is still too limited. Just in the area of the food we eat, there is so much more to watch out for. As consumers, we need to be constantly on the alert. Perhaps the PFA needs to be built into a larger body or more organisations like it set up to watch over various sectors: the broiler hens sold everywhere are said to be injected with steroids; cows are treated with hormones to produce more milk; fruits carry a coating of pesticides; the same pesticides and fertilizers deposited in the soil leach into vegetables. The story of water and its content is still more alarming.
So what are our options as consumers? They are really very limited. The PFA actions have simply exposed our helplessness. We do not really know what is being sold to us, even what meat we are eating. Occasionally we read expert accounts about what the food we eat is doing to us, our bodies, the bodies of our children. But even the few of us who are aware wonder what to do. There is simply too little regulation on what we are paying for. Deceit is common, expired foods are sold everywhere. So are items banned in other nations. The lack of awareness, lack of literacy and in some cases unethical advertising simply adds to the problem.
The PFA campaign and its findings are a small part of a much bigger story. They remind us that we as consumers have been forgotten; we have no rights and no one there to protect even the ones that do exist within the law. Essentially we are exposed to all kinds of dangers, not only in the food we eat but in all kinds of other ways. Medications are available over the counter without prescription; as a result we self medicate. Doctors are expensive, and even when we pay out we face the risk of poor practices which include the overuse of antibiotics. The results are dangerous; bugs immune to antibiotics are increasingly becoming common. As a result of this strains of tuberculosis resistant to medication have evolved, turning a tamed disease into one that is much harder to cure.
The recent protests against private school fees being staged by parents in several cities also show us a picture of desperate consumers. For what should be a basic right, available to every citizen, parents must pay out enormous sums of money. Often there is limited explanation as to what they are paying for – and many complain they do not receive the services promised to them at the time of admission. Whether something will come of the current campaign and the attempts by parents to take a stand is hard to say. In the past they have failed.
Yes, there have been attempts to solve some of the problems. The consumer courts set up in 2012 were an example, and notably in the Punjab where they were most active, did reach some important decisions, ruling in favour of consumers against a shampoo manufacturer, a retailer selling air-conditioners and in other matters. But all these issues are relatively frivolous in the broader scheme of things.
NGOs that have focused on consumer rights have had some successes, but they have been limited. A law to promote breastfeeding has existed on our statute books since 2012, but despite this huge profits accrue for baby milk companies. It is also a fact that consumers have little protection when they buy defective or potentially damaging products. Even when they realise a problem exists, few are willing to turn to the courts or take other action. There is simply too much time and effort involved, and few are ready to take on officialdom or try to make their way through the maze of complexities which may, or may not, end in a solution to their problems.
Those handed inflated utility bills present an example. Days spent in queues, or chasing after officials, could, it is possible, result in their problem being resolved. But it also means days taken off from work and they are few who can afford this. Those with no option but to make an attempt can be seen outside offices every day, resigned to their fate.
It is these facts, these realities, which make the PFA light up so many hearts. In the minds of people it represents a team of superheroes, rising to their defence by raiding mouldy kitchens, trapping rodents found there or picking rotting food out of the freezers. The inclusion of eating places frequented by the rich adds to the sense of drama – and triumph. But we need to do much more to make safe food available to people. This is the most basic of consumer rights and should come before anything else.
As things stand today, especially for the vast majority unable to pay for the limited ‘organic’ food items available in the market, the choices are stark. Adulterated or low quality food is all that lies within their reach. Inflation has put items like fruit well away from a point where the less priveleged can access them. The same problem exists in other countries where the poor or relatively poor often eat the unhealthiest of diets.
In our country, the problem has been aggravated by the fact that we have no protections in place to protect people from the sale of food which is essentially tainted, contaminated or ruined in some way with retailers apparently specialising in ways to cover this up – for example, by adding ingredients to soured milk which will make it seem wholesome. There are many other examples. They exist in every sector. Toys unsuitable for infants are sold to them every day. Parents who buy them are simply trying to do their best for their offspring.
We simply do not care enough for our people to protect them from the commercial monster we have created in our country or to find a way to offer them food items which can bring real benefits rather than cause harm. The growing junk food market adds to the issues we face with a previously much healthier diet ruined by the addition of outside influences.
The problem is not an easy one to tackle. But some way has to be found to protect consumers caught in a vicious trap from which they are unable to escape and perhaps do not even realise how badly they need to get away.
Email: kamilahyat@hotmail.com