It is a serious concern that people, across the county, hardly find clean milk due to traditional milk handling and adulteration despite the fact that Pakistan was one of largest milk producing countries.

It is a serious concern that people, across the county, hardly find clean milk due to traditional milk handling and adulteration despite the fact that Pakistan was one of largest milk producing countries. It was stated by University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while talking to participants of the international symposium titled technological and nutritional aspects of value added dairy products arranged by National Institute of Food Sciences and Technology (NIFSAT), UAF. It is the part of the Food Festival kicked off at the UAF Exhibition Centre and its adjacent ground on Wednesday. The Vice Chancellor also called for preventing the wastage in the handling of the milk. Only five percent of milk is processed whereas the rest is left on the mercy of traditional methods causing bacteria, he lamented. He said the country was blessed with the 70 million goat and buffaloes but we are not utilizing their benefits properly. He said that the country was facing serious nutrition crisis. It is not only due to lack of purchasing power but also way we eat and handle our available resources. Talking about the climate changes, he said melting glaciers, temperature increment and other factors are posing the serious threat of food security as the sustainability of environment is the real challenge. Tangible efforts are afoot on the part of university in the shape of tangible researches and outreach programme. He also lauded the steps being taken by government and international donors in the development projects, research and outreach programmes of the university. Council for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs Embassy of France Martine Herlem Hamidi said that Pakistan was under the grip of the food insecurity. She said that value addition can help the country to tap the economic opportunities as a step towards the development. She said that the climate changes had started playing havoc with the lives of the people and demanded the collaborated efforts to tackle the issue. She said that that they are going organize global conference on climate changes next year. She said the festival will help in coming up to the solution to the dairy sector and to highlight the potential in dairy sector. Government College Women University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Naureen Aziz Qureshi said that food sector needs to be developed that will not only increase the nutrition but also help in poverty alleviation. She said that extra measures are needed to end the adulteration and increase the production in order to progress in the country. She said the establishment of new UAF Faculty titled Food Nutrition, Home Sciences is the positive step that will generate the quality manpower to boost the industry. NIFSAT Director General Prof Dr Masood Sadiq Butt stressed the need to take measures to the curtail Gawalasystem. He said that it is the need of the hour to improve the quality of milk with the help value addition. He said that promotion of cheese would help in mitigating malnutrition. He said that food festival is meant to polishing the entrepreneurial skills among the students. The students had made up their small food products that are on the sale in the festival. Prof Dr Tahir Zahoor said they are taking all possible steps to enhance the ability of the students. Dr. Nuzhat Huma thanked the participants and sponsors.