Balochistan Food Authority, Nutrition International train food safety officers on salt fortification

QUETTA: The Balochistan Food Authority and Nutrition International jointly held a one-day refresher training on the salt fortification programme for the authority’s food safety officers (FSOs) and salt processors.

The training aimed to improve standard production of iodised salt, effective monitoring and quality control, and the implementation of policies and guidelines. It also aimed to build the professional skills of the officers and industrialists concerned.

Iodine deficiency and standard salt

Zonal Manager Dr Mehmood Khan informed the participants about the importance of iodine for human health, the diseases caused by its deficiency, the harms of non-iodised salt and the benefits of using standard iodised salt. He also gave detailed practical guidance on the modern requirements of salt fortification, the correct use of potassium iodate, maintaining the required level of iodine, production stages, packaging, storage, quality control and the effective use of the rapid testing kit (RTK).

Balochistan Food Authority Director Technical Anwar Kakar, Deputy Provincial Coordinator for Family Planning Dr Kamran Elahi, Deputy Director of the Nutrition Directorate Dr Awais Tareen, District Health Officer Dr Amil Mandokhail and Provincial Programme Manager Syed Khalil Agha also addressed the event. The speakers stressed the need to eliminate nutritional deficiencies, prevent iodine deficiency, ensure the availability of standard iodised salt, and improve effective cooperation, monitoring and capacity among the institutions concerned.

Food safety officers of the Balochistan Food Authority, salt processors and representatives of the institutions concerned attended the training. The participants pledged to carry out their responsibilities more effectively for the production of standard iodised salt, effective monitoring and the promotion of its use among the public.

Certificates distributed by DG Food Authority

At the end of the programme, Balochistan Food Authority Director General Habibullah Khan distributed certificates among the participants. He praised the efforts of Nutrition International under the salt fortification programme and said such training programmes were very important for tackling public health problems like malnutrition and iodine deficiency.

He assured that, with the cooperation of Nutrition International and other partner organisations, the Balochistan Food Authority would continue its efforts across the province for the production of standard iodised salt, effective monitoring and the provision of safe, quality food to the public.

Photo: Courtesy DGPR Balochistan