KARACHI: Engro Foods Limited participated in a resourceful seminar on food safety and nutritional policies to enrich the discussions with its valuable experience as a leading provider of dairy products in Pakistan.
The event held at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAGS) attracted internationally reputed experts of nutrition. Engro Foods’ participation in this insightful forum reflects the commitment of the enterprise to improve the standards of nutrition in the society, while it inspires a white-revolution through tangible reforms that promise food-security and healthy nourishment for the masses.
The theme of the seminar was “An Overview of Food Safety & Nutrition Policies in the Western World: An Opportunity for Pakistan to benefit from the experience”. During the productive discussions, learned speakers like Bureau of Nutritional Sciences and Health Canada Senior Scientific Project Coordinator Dr Atiq Rehman and Engro Foods’ Regulatory Affairs Manager Dr Muhammad Nasir shared their wisdom with the audience. Notable policy advisors like Mustajab Ahmed, representing the Pakistan Society of Food Scientists & Technologists (PSFST), also enlightened a large number of distinguished personalities from the private sector, business community, regulatory institutions, academic faculty and students.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rehman said, “Safe and Nutritious Food is a basic human right and is essential for a healthy nation. Government institutions play a key role in ensuring supply of safe and nutritious food. Pakistan’s food regulators need to realign their strategy keeping in mind the evolving needs in order to ensure a sustainable future. The agricultural sector is currently at the crossroads to take maximum advantage of newer technologies to ensure food security. The vast amount of data available in a digitized world can be smartly utilized to multiply agricultural output and optimize distribution and consumption of food products in every region, with more transparency.”
Dr Rehman’s speech was followed by an elaborate discussion on the structure of food regulatory bodies existing in countries like Canada, USA, EU, Australia and New Zealand. The participants were of the view that Pakistan must take advantage of the learnings from these developed nations, adding that all stakeholders, institutions, businesses and universities must support the government in achieving these national objectives.
They said every citizen is equally responsible for the supply of safe and nutritious food across the nation, especially for the deprived segments. The role of science is critical in enhancing the per-acre yield, and subsequently to meet the growing demands of the booming population of Pakistan and other South Asian countries, they added.
The need for a centralized, more integrated food-regulatory body and monitoring system in Pakistan was also highlighted during the event. Achievements of the provincial food authorities were appreciated, as they have come a long way in implementation of reforms and new food laws formulated by technically qualified experts.
Punjab University Director Prof Dr Mahmood Saleem appreciated the efforts of IAGS Director Prof Dr Muhammad Saleem Haider and Food Science & Technology Coordinator Dr Shinawar Waseem Ali, the founders of this informative seminar. He said such events create awareness among the masses and encourage the public and private sector to work in cohesion. Towards the end of the event, Dean Faculty of Life Sciences Prof Dr Javed Iqbal Qazi presented shields to the distinguished guests in order to acknowledge their participation and great contributions to the food industry.