KARACHI: Mayor of Karachi, Barrister Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui inaugurated the Divisional Food Testing Lab (DFTL) established at the Department of Food Science and Technology of the University of Karachi (KU) on Monday.
The KU DFST and the Sindh Food Authority have jointly established the DFTL to improve food quality in the province.
Murtaza Wahab and the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi also inaugurated the FST Alumni Conference Hall at the KU DFST.
On this occasion, the KU DFST organized a seminar on ‘water is life, water is food, leave no one behind’, of World Food Day 2023.
Addressing the ceremony, the mayor said that food security was the biggest problem in the present era and added that many countries were still facing this problem.
He shared that Pakistan was an agricultural country with about 65 percent of its economy based on sustainable agriculture.
He stressed that we needed to promote good quality seeds and had to use technologies through which water could be saved.
“This is so unfortunate that despite being an agricultural country, we still import wheat and pulses. We need to get out of this situation as soon as possible. We have agricultural land and manpower. We just need seriousness and dedication.”
The mayor said that every person had the right to get clean drinking water and healthy food.
He expressed that steps had to be taken to save minor children from malnutrition and expressed that World Food Day was commemorated all across the globe to inculcate a sense of responsibility in people for the careful use of food resources.
Murtaza Wahab mentioned that he would like to work with the KU regarding the acquisition of alternative energy and the establishment of laboratories with the help of the SFA.
He observed that there was a need to establish a technology park that could easily fulfill the requirements of today’s world.
Meanwhile, Consul General of Malaysia Herman Hardynata Ahmad said that food security was impossible without the supply of clean water.
He said that agriculture was possible with water, and water was the most important ingredient in any diet.
He mentioned that saving water was everyone’s responsibility.
The international community has to play an important role in combating malnutrition.
He further said that most of the world’s countries, including Pakistan, had abundant water available.
“Still, a large part of the country’s population is deprived of clean drinking water, which is a matter of concern. It is our shared responsibility to ensure the supply of clean drinking water to the entire population,” he added.
Malaysian CG Herman Ahmad observed that Pakistan was a resource-rich country, but water resources were facing challenges including floods, droughts, and climate change.
Later, KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said that water had the most important role in our life.
It is very important in the field of agriculture as well. In a country like Pakistan where food security is a major issue, saving water is a very important matter.
He informed the audience that the KU DFST had engaged a good number of private organizations in the department and completed several projects under the public-private partnership scheme which was a very good sign.
He said that academia should be able to produce reliable solutions to the industry’s problems and manufacturers’ should also engage academicians and scholars whenever they faced difficulties and would like to have durable solutions.
Another speaker, the Director General SFA Agha Fakhar Hussain shared that the SFA was ready to work with all major stakeholders to improve food quality.
He mentioned that equipment for the lab were given to the SFA by the Nutritional International.
He shared that the lab was the state of art and its establishment would help the SFA and the KU DFST to ensure better food quality.
The KU DFST also organized a food expo on this occasion, where stalls were set up by various companies and students.
The poster competition among the students was also arranged by the department while it also signed three memorandums of understanding during the seminar.
KU Dean of Science Professor Dr Samina Bano, General Manager of Popular Group of Industries Dr Naeem Ullah Naeem, Co-Chairman Master Sweetener Bilal Hussain, and others also spoke on this occasion.
A panel discussion was held to highlight the importance of clean drinking water and healthy food.