PESHAWAR: Eight kinds of edibles have been banned by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Food Safety and Halal Authority to improve food safety and hygiene on Thursday, a local media outlet reported.
Director General Riaz Khan Mehsud said that a committee of experts had recommended the authority to ban some products and improve others.
Carbonated drinks, chips/ papar, and energy drinks will not be available at educational institutes. Scientific evidence highlighting the dangers of hazardous food will be provided by the Khyber Medical University, said Committee Member Dr Ziaul Haq.
Riaz Khan explained that spices may also be banned if the presence of aflatoxins is detected. Sale of loose spices and salts would be banned after a year-long period. In addition, calcium carbide is deeply embedded in the market and therefore a two-year grace period will be provided before products carrying it are banned. Alternatives to calcium carbide will be suggested by the authority after conducting research in collaboration with research institutes.
Pan, Chalia, Gutka, Chooran, chewing tobacco and Naswar would be banned due to their carcinogenic nature and that a six-month grace period will be provided to ensure that the processing of banaspati ghee is modified to ensure safety. Ice-cream and similar products would only be allowed to be sold if they are using safe and hygienic ingredients.
Intra-agency cooperation for environmental safety and product labelling would be ensured, he added.