Salman Sufi, the head of the Strategic Reformer Unit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, has announced that all over Pakistan Restaurants To enter the calories in the ‘Healthy’ menu food The ‘Healthy Everlasting’ project has been launched.
Salman Sufi announced in one of his tweets: ‘One health Inauguration of healthy future, all food authorities from all over Pakistan have launched healthy diet, healthy and sustainable project. All restaurants will list calories on their menus. Now people will be able to know how much food should be consumed daily. This will significantly reduce diabetes and heart diseases.’
The head of the Strategic Reforms Unit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan further wrote: Trans fat is being limited to only two percent. The ingredients of the packaged food will be written on the packet as per the guidelines of the World Health Organization. This step will become the foundation of a healthy Pakistan.
The beginning of a healthy future
All the food authorities from all over Pakistan have launched the Healthy Food Healthy Sada project.
All restaurants will list their menu calories.
Now people will be able to know how much food should be consumed daily.
This will significantly reduce diabetes and heart diseases pic.twitter.com/rSvPEw2r1t— Salman Sufi (Get New Covid Booster Today) (@SalmanSufi7) August 6, 2023
Additional Director General Operations Punjab Food Authority Asif Ali Dogar told Independent Urdu in this regard that ‘Actually, this is an initiative of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Shahbaz Sharif, which will be applied in all four provinces.’
“In Punjab, Director General of Punjab Food Authority Raja Jahangir Anwar is leading this and we have inaugurated this project yesterday in Lahore.”
He said: ‘Our first target is that category A restaurants, which include big food chains, restaurants in MM Alam Road and other posh areas, here in the first phase we will apply this policy and their The calorie count will be written on the menu.
According to him, this project will be completed in one year, but in Lahore we will complete it in three malls. And our priority in these three months is category one restaurants.’
How do restaurant owners count calories?
In this regard, Asif Ali Dogar said: ‘This was the first challenge of the restaurant owners. He said that a food technologist or a nutritionist would have to be hired for this, but the Food Authority has its own nutritionist wing in which more than 50 nutritionists are working.
“In the meeting with the stakeholders, it was decided that we will provide this support to the restaurants free of charge. At the moment we are in the phase of creating a regulation under which we will calculate how many calories are in the food dishes that are usually served in restaurants, such as curry or burger.
“By making these regulations, we will notify all the stakeholders and their calories will be written according to the food in their menu.”
Will the calories of Lahore’s desi khabs also be counted?
In this regard, the Additional DG said: ‘We have all kinds of restaurants on our radar, indigenous restaurants inside Lahore or food street or other indigenous food restaurants, they come in our category B, we will look at them in the second phase. ‘
What was the reaction of the restaurant owners?
On this, Asif Ali Dogar said that ‘Lahore Restaurants Association and Punjab Restaurants Association have been taken on board. Their first objection was that their customers would be less.
“To solve this problem, we have given them the support that nutritionists will give them. There is also an application that our IT department will work on. We will collect their menus and our team will assess it and give it back to them and try to minimize the challenge for them.’
According to him, ‘but their second fear is that customers will decrease, this is their fear, because anyway, when the number of calories is written next to the food, then the person will be thinking whether to eat or not. .’
What do restaurant owners say?
According to a well-known restaurant owner in Lahore who spoke to Independent Urdu but did not want to be named: ‘There are many problems with this project. All over the world we have traveled and eaten food from country to country but we have never seen anything like this.’
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He said, ‘The concept of writing calories in juice bars or restaurants that sell healthy food in the world, the law is not even there. The second thing is that what is street food or for example, there are phaje, they may not even know what the calories are, where will they write them?’
The owner of the said restaurant said that “Our country does not have a calorie-rich culture, especially the culture of Punjab is one of ‘open food’ eating.” This includes biryanis and fried foods. I think calories should be added but it should not be forced on everyone. However, it has become so difficult to do business in Pakistan and new policies are made on it.
Are the calories listed on the menu accurate?
In this regard, we also spoke to a nutritionist, Zainab Gondal. Says Zainab: ‘When we count calories we look at the macro and micro level. We see how much fat is being added to it, how much butter is being added, and we will count it all and write it down.’
Zainab said that ‘90% of the people who go to eat at restaurants go without taking care of their health. The remaining 10 percent who eat out health-consciously order things that are low in calories, such as barbecue or steaks without sauce.
According to him, ‘it is not possible to have the same amount every time for each dish, many times something is different when cooking, like adding more butter, which means the fat in the food has increased.’
Says Zainab, ‘Many times the ratio of pasta is reduced, which reduces the required carbohydrates. Many times the meat is more or less cooked. The bigger the restaurants, the more or less the portion of the food served, the calorie count is messed up. I think it will be very difficult for the concerned authorities to implement this plan.’
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#Restaurants #Pakistan #list #calories #menus #Officials
**Interview with Salman Sufi, Head of the Strategic Reformer Unit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan**
**Editor:** Good day, Mr. Sufi. Thank you for joining us to discuss the newly launched ‘Healthy Everlasting’ project in Pakistan. Can you tell us what inspired this initiative?
**Salman Sufi:** Thank you for having me. The inspiration behind the ‘Healthy Everlasting’ project stems from a growing concern regarding public health in Pakistan. With rising rates of diabetes and heart diseases, we identified a need for greater awareness around nutrition. By mandating that restaurants display calorie counts on their menus, we aim to educate citizens about proper dietary choices, thus promoting a healthier lifestyle.
**Editor:** That sounds like a significant step. How do you think this initiative will affect the food industry and consumers alike?
**Salman Sufi:** We believe that this initiative will not only empower consumers with vital information about their food choices but will also encourage restaurants to be more transparent about what they serve. By working alongside restaurant owners, we hope to make this transition as smooth as possible. Our goal is to foster a culture of health and responsibility in dining.
**Editor:** There are concerns from restaurant owners about potential drop-offs in customers once calorie information is available. How do you plan to address these fears?
**Salman Sufi:** We understand these concerns very well. That’s why we’re working closely with restaurant associations to provide support. Our nutritionists will help restaurants calculate their calorie counts for free. We want to ensure that restaurants can adapt without fear of losing business, and that they understand the long-term benefits of promoting healthier options to consumers.
**Editor:** What about local and street food vendors? How will they be incorporated into this project?
**Salman Sufi:** Local and street food vendors are indeed a vital part of our culinary landscape. While our initial focus is on category A restaurants and major food chains, we do intend to expand to these vendors in a subsequent phase. It is essential to preserve our cultural food practices while also ensuring public health education reaches all levels. We will develop a framework that considers the unique challenges these vendors face.
**Editor:** Some restaurant owners have mentioned that this kind of initiative is uncommon globally. How do you respond to critics who say Pakistan does not have a calorie-centric culture?
**Salman Sufi:** While it’s true that the concept may still be developing, many countries are increasingly promoting transparency in food consumption for health benefits. We recognize Pakistan’s unique culinary culture, and our approach will respect that. Our goal is to blend traditional eating habits with modern nutritional standards and to develop a calorie-awareness culture gradually.
**Editor:** Thank you, Mr. Sufi, for sharing your insights and for your commitment to a healthier Pakistan. We look forward to seeing the progress of the ‘Healthy Everlasting’ project.
**Salman Sufi:** Thank you for the opportunity. Together, we can build a healthier future for everyone in Pakistan.
