Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA), in collaboration with International Federation of Medical Students (IFMS), arranged an awareness seminar titled: ‘Benefits of Mothers’ Milk and Causes of Breast Cancer in Pakistan’ at Government Degree College for Women, Marghzar Colony Lahore on Thursday.

On the occasion, PFA Director General (DG) Noorul Amin Mengal, College Principal Rubina Kamal, Dr Ahmed Mustansar, Dr Mahnoor Azhar, Dr Salman Ibrahim and Dr Haram Tahir addressed the participants. In the seminar, a large number of students, IFMS members and faculty members participated.

Speakers covered several topics during their address, including cause of breast cancer, effects of formula milk and food borne diseases as well role of PFA in order to control food safety, security and cancer. Speakers from International Federation of Medical Students shed light on neonatal health. They said that there was a higher risk of diabetes in later life for people who had not been breastfed. “Breastfeeding can reduce the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome. Breastfeeding greatly reduces the risk of allergies and people who have been fed with formula milk are at a higher risk of developing leukemia. Formula milk administered children also exhibit weakened immunity in later life,” they said.

Addressing with the participants, PFA DG Noorul Amin Mengal said that the authority was taking all necessary steps to save the lives of children and people of the nation. “Food security and food safety are very important in society,” he said. He said that companies were selling products by disseminating misleading information and glossy language on their products and in advertisements. He said that PFA had made a strategy to rein in criminals who were involved in while collar crime. “All food organisations will be bound to get approval from PFA Scientific Panel of their advertisement campaign before starting any product promotion on the media,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, December 15^th 2017.