KUWAIT: Starting from the beginning of this year checking and inspecting on restaurants, cafes, and other institutions dealing with food became part of the responsibilities of the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition (PAFN).
PAFN is aninternationally recognized authority for food and nutrition safety. "It isan independent body that aims to protect consumers' health through inspectingthe produced or distributed food in the local market to make sure it applies tothe health and safety criteria. This should also spread awareness to eliminatemalnutrition diseases and protect general health," Mohammed Jragh, PublicRelations Director at PAFN told the Kuwait Times.
More duties weretransferred to PAFN gradually. "PAFN was established in 2015, and fromthat time, more fields are being added to our responsibility from both theMinistry of Health and Kuwait Municipality," he stated. "Theseinclude the slaughterhouses, food products, and others."
School canteens
The authority isalso in charge of inspecting the canteens at schools. Recently, PAFN decided tostrictly inspect the canteens to make sure that they only sell healthyproducts, and banned certain products from being sold to students.
"We will bedealing with the Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company that will supply thecanteens with special products," noted Wajd Al-Othman, Nutritionist atPAFN. "We have chosen this company as they modified their productsaccording to our criteria. For instance, the products will be free ofhydrogenated fats.
Also, their breadcontains less salt than other bakeries. All their products are produced throughan automated process, which is very important for students' safety. Furthermorewe demanded producing special sizes that are suitable for young students, asthey usually do not finish the regular size of sandwich and other items. Theseproducts will be specially made to the school canteens and will not beavailable in the market."
"From 2016we made an agreement with some local companies that produce juices and dairy todecrease added sugar to juices and nectars," she further said. "Weappreciate their cooperation in dropping the sugar level to the possible limitthat will not affect the taste. Only these juices will be available in thecanteens. Also, drinks other than juices and nectars were already banned incanteens according to the GCC list For Schools Cantinas Food Criteria."
"We aim toimprove the nutrition and health condition of the students to treatmalnutrition and avoid it. We have bigger plans, and this is the first step. Westarted with the elementary schools first, as this is the basic. This way thestudent will get used to healthy nutrition and preserve it in later stages. Itis more difficult at the intermediate stage if they were not used to it from ayounger age," she pointed out.
Parents should beaware of the healthy nutrition of their children. "They should know theharm of unhealthy food, which they should not give to their children. Our roleis limited to inspecting the sold items at the canteens, and we are not incharge of checking what the children brought with them from home," Othmanconcluded.
24-hour shifts
PAFN inspectorsgo on regular inspections on daily bases. "Our inspectors work on 24-hourshifts. Then they also go on group inspections twice a week depending on theseasons, which may increase in Ramadan or Eid for instance. We inspect all theinstitutions dealing with food," said Abdullah Abbas, Head of theInspection Department for Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate.
Inspection ofschool canteens is also part of their checkups. "We inspect the factoriesand importing companies before they sign an agreement with the Ministry ofEducation. If their products meet the criteria then we give the approval todeal with them. Then after the schools start, our department form committees ineach governorate to inspect the school canteens," he also said.
"If anyinspector had doubts about a certain food product, we will take a sample tocheck it at the laboratory. Also, we take random samples of the specialproducts of the factory that will supply the school canteens. Doubts arise ifthe lighting or the ventilation system was not good, which may affect the foodproducts," added Abbas.
Any food productcannot enter the country without being checked. "This checking processbelongs to the Imported Food Department. The inspectors first do visualexamination to the products, then they take a sample that is checked at thelaboratory. The shipment should be held until the results come from thelaboratory saying it is safe," he noted.
According to him,tests on a certain brand of gum that an account on social media claimed that itincludes pork came negative, despite the fact that the producer at the countryof origin stated on his social media account that all the products of hisfactory include pork. Abbas doesn't know if there is shortage in the Kuwaitilaboratories that make them unable to detect all traces of pork gelatin, but heassured that all gums were withdrawn from the local market due to the statementof the producer.
By NawaraFattahova