CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN FOOD SAFETY & APPLIED NUTRITION was Established on 24-10-2019.
Introduction/Concept
Punjab is considered one of the most industrialized provinces of Pakistan contributing around 24% of the province’s GDP. Obviously, the poverty in the province is the lowest however, a visible difference can be witnessed as far as the southern portions of the province are concerned which are improvised with population precariously inflicted with poverty that jeopardizes the livelihood and wellbeing of these vulnerable population groups in the region. Poverty continues to prevail in South Punjab despite tremendous assurance by the Government to provide ample resources for development and to overpower the barriers that hamper regional growth and prosperity. Presently, the region faces the agony of a series of missed opportunities and misfortunes in terms of unemployment, poor health care system, and unavailability of quality education, food safety & security, and improved nutrition. The dream to progress can only be realized through a healthier society. Recently, South Punjab faces the worst situation with respect to the supply of safe and nutritious food to the population.
The quality of drinking water in the region is another challenge that needs very special attention from the Government as well. Globally, food safety and nutrition are regarded as the most vital areas in which the Government and the allied stakeholders prefer to invest to alleviate poverty and to ensure the least drainage of the resources for the treatment of the food-borne diseases. Despite the fact that South Punjab constitutes a major part of the province, there exists no any kind of institution, engaged in research to identify the core issues of food safety and nutrition and that could provide a sustainable solution to these issues. In the light of the given facts, it seems imperative that a research center typically focusing on these areas is to be established in South Punjab that could cater to the future needs for a safer supply of nutritious food to the dwellers of this region. Hence, the proposal in hand is a comprehensive approach to modulate the emerging issues of food safety and nutrition in South Punjab that may also help control the massive prevalence of foodborne pathogenesis and acute malnutrition in remote and neglected areas of South Punjab.
Mission
To execute fundamental strategic research and training to improve food safety and applied nutrition for promoting and protecting the public’s health.
Vision
To emerge as a leading national center for research and education in food safety and applied nutrition with a capacity to develop sound public health policy and to reduce the increased disease burden associated with unsafe and non-nutritious foods.
Objectives of the Project
To protect public health through the supply of safe and nutritious foods.
To improve the socioeconomic status of the population by modulating malnutrition and alleviating poverty
To promote employability through skill development in food processing &preservation
To help policymakers and law enforcement agencies devise policies and plan to curtail the disease burden in the region
To train manpower to meet the needs for addressing issues in food safety and nutrition.
To establish linkages with national and international Food Safety and Nutrition organizations to promote regional growth through investment in the realm of food safety and nutrition.
To prepare a highly trained squad of food professionals for the future to combat the menace of food safety and nutrition in Pakistan
Responsibilities not limited to
To carry out research on fundamental food safety issues such as the safety of ingredients and food additives.
To ensure the safety of foods and ingredients developed through biotechnology.
To ensure the application of quality control parameters/ certifications at industrial and small vendors’ levels through certifying bodies and law enforcement agencies.
To initiate projects and programs to address health risks associated with foodborne, chemical, and biological contaminants.
To introduce certificate/ diplomas/degree programs in Food Safety & Quality/Nutrition
To typically focus on the common food adulterants in milk and milk products
To identify the toxic compounds such as heavy metals, pesticide residues, aflatoxins and other naturally occurring toxins in a myriad of foods and food products.
To help regulating bodies ensure the safety of dietary supplements.
To educate, mobilize and activate consumer groups to raise their voices for the supply of safe and nutritious food as their fundamental right.
To help legislators/ law enforcement agencies stop food fraud with the proper labeling of foods (e.g., ingredients, nutrition health claims).
To help government promote international food standards and safety harmonization efforts
To create awareness on food safety and improved nutrition through training/ seminars/ symposia and conferences.
To research into the new methods for safe packaging of foods. New packaging techniques.
To promote food fortification programs to overpower micronutrient deficiencies in the region
To provide diagnostic/ food testing facilities for consumers
To help the local food industry produce chemically, physically, and microbiologically safe foods
To initiate projects for survelleinace and control of epidemics /outbreaks associated with the consumption of contaminated foods.
To develop safe and nutritious foods for disastrous situations like floods/ earthquakes and natural calamities
Infrastructure
The center will primarily act as a hub for research in food safety and nutrition at the national level and will be a premier source of scientific information on the subject of food and allied areas. The center initially needs at least 15 state-of-the-art labs. 12 classrooms, 20 staff/faculty offices, a big size food processing pilot plant, an auditorium for 300+ heads, one big library, 2 common rooms, and two computer labs. The scientific labs direly needed include
Food Chemistry Lab
Food Analysis Lab
Food Microbiology & Biotechnology Lab-I
Food Microbiology & Biotechnology Lab-Ii
Sensory Evaluation Lab
Dairy Technology Lab
Cereal Technology Lab
Fruits & Vegetable Lab
Fats & Oil Lab
Meat & Poultry Labs
Nutrition & Biochemistry Laboratories
Food Product Development Lab
The Biosafety Level 2 (Bsl-2)