M Hamza Shaikh Article To be checked

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PRECARIOUS FOOD OUTLETS IN HYDERABAD

M.Hamza Shaikh                

2k17/MC/62     BS part lll

People of Hyderabad are fond of having delicious food, for which generally move towards restaurants or foods outlets to get proper meal with family and friends. People are quite passionate about the food when it comes to traditional one. People spend their money to have good food but did not know that the food is hygienic or not. A number of restaurants, bakeries and other food outlets have been sealed for providing unhygienic food not only in Hyderabad but in other cities also like(Karachi,Lahore), many of the well-known food outlets sealed and have faced huge penalties. In Pakistan we have many issues that are not been highlighted on media in which the most important aspect of well-being is neglected.

In last 72-year history, Pakistan’s successive governments both civil and military haven’t made health a priority. It is woeful that discussion around health policy receive little to no space in the agenda of political parties and while the media tends to report heavily on specific health related crises, such as the spread of trachoma, food poisoning and skin infections due to the usage of unhygienic food. Meaningful debate around the causes of abysmal health services is virtually absent. This absence has caused risk to the lives of many, pointing of such aspect should get serious acknowledgment.

In Hyderabad a rare action has been taken by Sindh Food Authority (SFA), they sealed and fined dozens of restaurants and entries on Sunday night(19-8-2019) in the two food streets of the district(Autobhan road and in unit 8 latifabad). The SFA Deputy Director Imtiaz Ali Abro Informed “The Express Tribune” that six outlets were sealed because they didn’t comply with the authority standards of the food. The Deputy added further that the restaurants were sealed because they were selling expired food items. Also provide some names of the well-known food outlets that are providing deadly food to the customers so that public get aware about the activities of such food sellers. According to the deputy, the authority imposed fines of around Rs, 450,000 on entries, however the sealed outlets can be reopened within 24 hours, “Provided they submit to us in writing that they will meet the SFA’s standards and subsequently, our team verified that the standards had been met”, These all restaurants are situated at the location that is said is to be the most expensive spot regarding shopping here they have food outlets, marts, mini mall etc. including well-known brands due to which it is sad to be the heart of Hyderabad for business. Other than that people are using bakery items at huge quantity for breakfast and for other celebrations like cakes for birthdays. SFA has also targeted bakeries for raid and found the ingredients that they were using for making of cakes, cookies and other bakery items were expired and totally spoiled, also the surrounding were they process their items were not meeting the standards of food authority. The restaurants and food outlets were having good reputation but because of providing unhygienic food all their reputation is spoiled. About these restaurant people didn’t knew what they are doing to them and having food of bad quality unknowingly.

In Hyderabad we are having a surprising aspect that there is a huge majority that are using low quality food knowingly just because it is of low rate. On the streets people who works on low margin (small businessman) use items of inferior quality for the making of dish or item like Sandwiches, Burger, Biryani etc. due to lack of money. Also, they cannot afford to buy shops, so they stand by the road with the cart having food items they want to sell. Poor people who cannot afford hoteling, they facilities themselves by these side road food sellers. Due to road this food contains all the dust, germs and other impurities mixed in the form of low-quality ingredients (no proper measures on quality of ingredients). But thereafter, people enjoy the taste of food and calm themselves by the fact that they can also enjoy the life, no matter how bad is the quality of food and how much impurities it contains, but this is causing serious health issues to many.

Recently, a juvenile boy died in Hyderabad after eating poisonous potato chips from a vendor on Sunday evening, local authorities verified cause of death, they further added that action has been initiated against all food sellers selling unhygienic food and for such sellers it is announced that their business will be sealed and if having managers (well-known restaurants) the managers will be arrested.

Authorities must play a keen role to stop such food sellers as well as guardians have to pay proper attention to the children and other family members that they avoid such deadly food. Awareness should be done in the form of advertisement and by other means so that people get knowledge about food  they are having is of quality standard or not. This could be easily done by pasting SFA's clearance documents on the entrance of food outlet signed and stamped by authority so that public could enjoy healthy meal with their family and friends.