Operational Activites

The Sindh Food Authority Act 2016 came into force in April, 2018 and Sindh Food Authority has been established with application to the whole province of Sindh under Section-3 (1) of the said Act. The operational activities by Sindh Food Authority have been started in the 1^st week of April, 2018.

Under Section 20 of Sindh Food Authority Act 2016, the improvement notices along with check lists to the following have been issued during inspection.

S.No	Name of Organization	Number of letters	Category	Annexures
1	Govt. Hospitals of Sindh	30	In Patient/Canteen	Annexure “A”
2	Govt. Medical Colleges of Sindh	06	Canteen	Annexure “B”
3	Private Hospitals of Karachi	114	In Patient/Canteen	Annexure “C”
4	Restaurants of Karachi	2859	Restaurant	Annexure “D”
5	Ice Factory of Karachi	103	ICE Manufacturing	Annexure “E”
6	Sweets, Bakers, & Nimco	1643	Bakers	Annexure “F”
7	Catering  (Pakwan Centre)	555	Kitchen	Annexure “G”
8	Milk Producer	96	Milk	Annexure “H”
9	Milk Wholesaler	96	Milk	Annexure “I”
10	Milk Retailer Shop	120	Milk	Annexure “J”
11	Mutton/Beef and Chicken	91	Mutton, Beef, Chicken	Annexure “K”
12	Slaughter House	2	Slaughter	Annexure “L”
13	Bottle Drinking Water/Mineral Water	189	Drinking Water	Annexure “M”
14	Open Oil and Ghee	14	Oil and Ghee	Annexure “N”
15	Packed Milk Companies	07	Packed Milk
16	Pickle (Achaar)	2	Pickle	Annexure ”O”
	TOTAL	6027

 

The notices to the following are being issued by operation wing within a month.

S.No	Category
1	Beverage/Soft Drinks
2	Poultry Farm/Poultry Feed
3	Flour Mills
4	Spices and Packing Material
5	Canteens for Prisoners in Jail

The Director Operation held meetings with the chairman Pakistan Hotel Association, chairman All Pakistan Restaurants Association, Chairman Pakistan Dairy Association, Bakers/Sweets and Nimco, Milk Producers, Milk Wholesaler and Retailers Associations/stake Holders with the view that improvement of food or edible items should be up to the Regulations of Sindh Food Authority. The Chairmen of Associations have been convinced to influence their other members to bring necessary improvement in the light of improvement notices and checklist. Accordingly all chairmen/stake holders of association have assured to cooperate with Sindh Food Authority for sustainable change (Annexure “P”). We believe that a sustainable positive change is only possible with the cooperation of stake holders and consumers’ awareness.

In Pursuance of Improving notices, field inspections/surprise visits have been started under Section 17 & 43 of Sindh Food Authority Act 2016. The Final Improvement Notices followed by the Checklist have been served to different stakeholders. Total 139 number food business holder have been served final improvement notices to Restaurant, Bakers/Sweets & Nimco and Hospital Canteens. The Registration and Licensing of food business holders has been started. The Registration/Licensing form can be downloaded from Sindh Food Authority website www.sfa.gos.pk or can visit Sindh Food Authority office.

It is submitted that Sindh Food Authority has sealed Sixty six (66) illegal factories under Section 17 & 43 of Sindh Food Authority Act 2016. After satisfactory reports received from the accredited laboratory and payment of penalty/fine, the factories have been re-opened with the condition to comply as per checklist.

S.No	Category	Number of Premises Sealed
1	Confectioners	5
2	Nimco	2
3	Spices	1
4	Sweets	3
5	Ice Cream	1
6	Chocolate	1
7	Fat Oil/Ghee	2
8	Drinking Bottled Water	2
9	Brown Onion	2
10	Restaurants	13
11	Milk Selling Point	7
12	Open Oil/Ghee	9
13	Ketchup, Mayonnaise & Sauces	2
14	Pickle	2
15	Khoya (Mawa)	10
	Total	66

 

The operation team of Sindh Food Authority have imposed penalty/fine on more than fifty (50) different Food Business Operators under section 26 & 32 of Sindh Food Authority Act 2016. According to the law, Authority shall impose fine which may extend to Rs. One million with imprisonment for six month, or both.

The Sindh Food Authority have lodged F.I.Rs against different illegal factories under Section 32 & 43 of Sindh Food Authority Act 2016.

S.No	Category	Number of FIR
1	Sweets	3
2	Chocolate	1
3	Open Fat Oil/Ghee	1
4	Open Oil/Ghee	9
	Total	14

Under section 25 (2) of Sindh Food Authority Act 2016, Sindh Food Authority has to establish its own Food Testing Laboratories. Till then Sindh Food Authority has accredited with the SGS, Pakistan, InterTek Pakistan and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) for testing of food samples.

Currently, in pursuance of report/findings of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of Pakistan, the Sindh Food Authority has banned following Mineral Water in Sindh province, Notification No.D.G/ DIR (OPR)/SFA/4071, 4072 & 4590/2018 Dated 30^th Aug, & 26^th Oct, 2018. (Annexure “Q”)

1.      Edlen Premium	7.       Aqua Super Life	13. Aqua Gold
2.      Pure Aqua	8.       Shiraz	14. 3 Star
3.      Livion	9.       Aqua Spalash	15. Douro
4.      Pure 18	10.   Marina	16. Real Plus
5.      Aab-e-Noor	11.   Aqua Fine	17. Crystal Maya
6.      Gourement	12.   Zam

It is submitted that Sindh Food Authority has notified Scientific Panel under Section 14 (1) of Sindh Food Authority Act 2016. The Scientific Panel is mainly responsible to assist Authority in technical matters. (Annexure “R”)

Consequent upon the recommendations of the Scientific Panel in its first meeting  which was held on 04^th September, 2018, following food items have been Banned/Restricted with immediate effect. (Annexure “S”)

1	Carbonated Soft Drinks, Energy Drinks, Papad and Coloured flavor Snack/Chips	Banned in School & College Canteens
2	Slaughtering of Small Animals (Calf)	Banned
3	Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)	Banned
4	Sale of Loose Spices	One year grace period granted (Till September, 2019)
5	Calcium Carbide as fruits ripening source	One year grace period granted (Till September, 2019)
6	Mislabeling	Followed as per PSQCA Standards e.g, it should be clearly mention on the tea whitener “YE DODH NAHI HAI”
7	Rangkat Bleaching agent (Sodium Hydro Sulphite and Sodium Hydro-chloride)	Banned only for manufacturing sweets items
8	Open Oil / Ghee	Banned

Sindh Food Authority strongly believes in Nutrition of Food besides Food Hygiene. In this context in close liaison with National Fortification Alliance (NFA), the Sindh Food Authority received suggestions from Food Fortification Programme (FFP) and Nutrition International (NI) and made part of its Regulation.