Afghanistan has still to implement food standards, say public health officials. Afghan consumers look at the price more than the quality of food stuff. Public health professionals are worried.
Afghanistan has still to implement food standards, say public health officials. Dr Sakhi Kargar, spokesman in the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), says tonnes of poor quality food stuffs are collected and destroyed by the Environment Health Directorate every year. The problem keeps increasing, he adds.
With most food stuff imported into the country, traders pay attention more to the price than to the quality of goods they sell. “Last year MoPH shut down an importing company because of poor quality, which was referred to the Attorney General’s office. These foodstuffs are brought in illegally via the long border between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” says Kargar.
Muhammad Shah who owns a general store in Deh Afghanan area of Kabul city says he tries to make sure all goods are of a high quality. “I think MoPH doesn’t do enough to control (quality in) bazaars because no one has come to (inspect) my shop for the last several months.”
He thinks officials are not doing enough to sensitise either the traders or consumers.
Most shopkeepers have no idea that they should not expose bottled products like water, beverages and oil to the direct sun. Long exposure to high heat can trigger a reaction called peroxide or rancidity in cooking oil that can have long-term health risks like increase in heart disease.
Analysed for quality
Kamila Sultani who is in charge of food quality control in MoPH says on receiving a complaint “samples of medicine, foods and water are taken and sent to the laboratory for analysis. They are analysed to ascertain whether they are usable or not.”
“Certain food stuff should be kept under specified temperature conditions, or else they get infected by bacteria which can cause problems like food poisoning,” she says.
Two agencies are responsible for quality of material and food in Afghanistan. The National Agency of Norm and Standard is in charge of fuel and construction material standards and MoPH for edible goods and medicine.
Mujeeb-U-Rahman Khateer, technical assistant at the Afghan National Standards Authority (ANSA)), says, “Following the decision of the council of ministers, the responsibility of quality control of foodstuff was given to MoPH. For the time being, ANSA is cooperating with MoPH in assessing the standard of foodstuffs.”
“The agency has been able to draw up standards for wheat, cooking oil and flour which is going to be submitted to MoPH and other relevant offices after the approval of the council,” he says.
According to him, the agency has plans to acquire a second laboratory, which will cover food imports coming through the country’s border checkposts.
Diversion of Foreign Troop Supplies
Interestingly, there seems to be a steady supply of imported goods from supplies meant for foreign troops based in Afghanistan. Deen Muhammad, a shopkeeper in Bush Bazaar, which is well known as the place to buy provisions that were shipped in exclusively for international military personnel, says “we get these foodstuffs from the provinces where foreign troops are stationed. People there who are in touch with the forces bring us these items.”
Sakeena, who was shopping in Bush Bazaar told Killid: “Some items are cheaper here. There are certain things I only buy from here.”
Were these goods cheap because they were past the best buy or expiry date? People are very hard up for money, she explains. “They are prepared to compromise on their health to feed themselves.”
At the Ibn-e-Sina Chest Hospital in Kabul doctors are saying the rate of heart disease, particularly among the young, has gone up. The problem could be because of clogging of the arteries. Dr Faizullah Kaker, adviser in the presidential palace, says Afghans need to be aware of what cooking oil is good for the heart.
Noormah, a thrifty Kabul resident, cooks with hydrogenated oil because she believes it lasts longer than refined oil like sunflower oil. Khan Jan Alokozai, deputy at the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries, says, “poor quality oil is imported illegally.”
Understaffed surveyors
Sayed Muhammad Safdari, director of supervision of markets in the Kabul Municipality, says “we collect all poor quality and expired stuff from markets with the help of Ministry of Agriculture, MoPH and police. After (quality) checking, they are destroyed.”
According to him, the municipality has a team of 20 that patrols the markets along with officials from the ministries of health and agriculture. “Shopkeepers who are found to be violating are fined,” he says.
