In a bid to crackdown against unhygienic food being sold in the capital, health teams of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) cracked down on at least 67 food sellers last month.Islamabad Mayor and CDA Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz on Wednesday chaired a monthly meeting of the Health Services Directorate (DHS) to review the performance of the directorate. Officers of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) also attended the meeting.“Food adulterators are enemies of the society,” Aziz remarked during the meeting, adding, “A comprehensive and sustained campaign is required to defeat these anti-social criminal elements.”“Food adulterators play with lives of people. We need a pro-active approach against the food adulterators,” he added. “Action against food adulterators should be made more effective, fruitful and result oriented,” the mayor stressed.DHS officials said that during May they had constituted special teams of the department which conducted raids throughout the city to ensure food stuff was being provided as per the required health standards and hygiene guidelines.During this period, the teams fined 67 people while a further 88 hygiene violators were issued notices under the PPF Ordinance 1960.Moreover, the teams found substandard ketchup. The teams also found 258 utensils which were either cracked, chipped or broken. These substandard utensils were confiscated and destroyed at the spot.The teams also collected 29 food samples from different food outlets. The samples were sent to a laboratory for proper examination to determine whether the food was hygienic or not.Aziz has also directed the DHS to continue its operation against sub-standard and adulterated food being sold in the capital.He further directed officials to ensure that the relevant rules are implemented and strict action is taken against those selling sub-standard, unhygienic and adulterated.The DHS has been told to submit daily progress reports in this regard.Published in The Express Tribune, June 15, 2017.