20/09/2008 (The News International) - The Sindh Health Department would hold proper identification of the “confiscated consignment of palm oil” with the help of four laboratories to ascertain if it was fit for human consumption, said Minister for Health, Dr Sagheer Ahmed on Friday.

Around 1,000 metric tons of oil was sealed by customs authorities nine years back on suspicion of its being unfit for human consumption and the Supreme Court had recently instructed the Sindh Health Department to ascertain its fitness for consumption.

Flanked by health secretary Mohammed Hussain, special secretary health Dr (Capt) Abdul Majid, EDO CDGK health Dr AD Sajnani, the minister said at a press conference that the task before the health department was to establish proper identification of the “disputed consignment”. He said that it was purely a technical matter and that the health department did not have such a high profile expertise under its command to carry out the test.

“We first asked EDO health of the CDGK to carry out the task as they (CDGK) have a full-fledged food analysis lab and they just analyzed its fitness but they did not have any expertise vis-a-vis oil-refining,” Dr Ahmed said, adding that the health department then asked director CB Lab to identity the disputed consignment, supervise the process of manufacturing of the oil and ascertain its fitness, which they carried out on September 1.

He said that, on receiving fitness report with regard to the manufacturing of the oil, the health department, for its reassurance, constituted a committee of two well-reputed officers of the health department and DO Quality Control of the CDGK to personally draw fresh samples of the oil and take them to the HEJ research centre, University of Karachi (KU), the PCSIR and food laboratory of the CDGK. He said that the health department has now also included PSQCA in carrying out the test.

He said that representatives of the HEJ research centre have requested, in the public interest, that the health department collect samples of the oil in the presence of court officials, health department and media men.

“Though we have no doubt about the integrity of our nominated team members, in order to maintain transparency, the request of HEJ has been accepted,” he said, adding that the health department has nominated Dr (Capt) Abdul Majid and also requested the Customs Collectorate Tribunal to depute representatives from the customs department. He said that, out of the 1,000 metric tones of palm oil, 100 metric tones contained “chemicals” and the customs authorities had sealed it, which was challenged before the customs’ tribunal. The minister said that the tribunal in its decision had asked the health department to carry out necessary test of samples of oil, while the owners of the company challenged this decision before the Sindh High Court, which also upheld the decision of the customs’ tribunal. The company again filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against the decision of the high court in July 2008.

It is worth mentioning that the Iffco refinery company’s consignment was sealed.