Hyderabad food lab back in spotlight after minor's tragic death last month

HYDERABAD: The machinery worth hundreds of thousands of rupees at what was supposed to be the city's very own food-testing labis left in disrepair whereas the designated building resembles a ruinmore than a facility.

It goes on to show that there is, atpresent, no system or method in Sindh's second-largest city to test the quality of food and beverages and analyse which of it is up to par and what is substandard.

The importance of the food-testing lab hasreturned to the spotlight especially after the tragic death of a minor boy, who passed away last month after allegedly due to food poisoning.

Four-year-old Humayun Umar died on December 31 after he and his sister consumed allegedly toxic fries from a street vendor, according to local security authorities. His sister, Aliza, who was also rushed to the hospital, was critically sick.

According to police, the two siblings had eaten French fries from a local food-seller in Hyderabad's Chandni area and fell sick. They were rushed to a hospital where the brother passed away.

The food-testing lab initiative by theformer local government that cost more thanRs1 million to set upremains non-operational from day one. It was left in the dark when the local government ended.

Now, however, the government is back in action and so are follow-ups. Food authority officials have been advised to get the facility running again.

Yet theauthority does not have funds for anywhere else other than Karachi.