Imran Zakir
KARACHI: University of Karachi department of Food Sciences and Technology celebrated the World Food day on Monday attended by Diplomatic Corps, Faculty Members of KU and Corporate and development sector to address various food challenges in the country.
On that occasion Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab inaugurated a testing lab which is the joint venture project of KU-DFST and the Sindh Food Authority to improve food quality in the province. Later Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab and the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi also inaugurated the FST Alumni Conference Hall at the KU-DFST.
KU DFST also organized a seminar on the theme of World Food Day 2023 ‘water is life, water is food, leave no one behind’.
Addressing the ceremony, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that food security is the biggest problem in the present era and added that many countries are still facing this problem clean water and quality food is the right of every person, for this we have to take step and measures will also have to be taken to protect small children from malnutrition
Meanwhile, the Consul General of Malaysia Herman Hardynata Ahmad said that food security is impossible without the supply of clean water. He said that agriculture is possible with water, and water is the most important ingredient in any diet. He mentioned that saving water is everyone’s responsibility. The international community has to play an important role in combating malnutrition.
Another speaker, the Director General SFA Agha Fakhar Hussain shared that the SFA is ready to work with all major stakeholders to improve food quality. He mentioned that equipment for the lab was given to the SFA by the Nutritional International and Uk Aid. He shared that the lab is 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 and prizes were given to students at the end on basis of their presentation.
The 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, Assistant Professor Dr Ghufran Ahmed and others also spoke on this occasion, while food industry participation is also seen to bridge Industry Academia gap.