LAHORE  -  Punjab Food Secretary Mu­hammad Zaman Wattoo has said that the Food Depart­ment is focusing on ensuring food safety and provision of nutritional food to people. He said this while addressing a seminar, held under the aus­pices of the Nutrition Inter­national and National Fortifi­cation Alliance at a local hotel on Friday. Food Additional Secretary Khalid Mahmood Tipu said that the main ob­jective of the Food Depart­ment was to provide qual­ity, hygienic and safe food to people. He said that the Food Department and Punjab Food Authority were working to­gether to ensure availabil­ity of fortified wheat. He said that people of south Punjab were facing the issue of un­balanced diet. Khalid Mah­mood Tipu said that children and women of South Punjab were facing health issues due to absence of proper nutri­ents and vitamins in their diet. He said, “From time to time, the Food Department is­sues instructions to 700 flour mills to ensure manufacturing of flour having zinc and other important nutrients in it.” The Punjab Food Fortification Bill 2023 was in final stages of the preparation which would be passed in forthcoming as­sembly, he added. Represen­tatives of National Nutrition Alliance, Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Author­ity and others attended the seminar. Progress on annual fortification of wheat, edible oil and nutrition foods was also reviewed.