Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh/Patiala
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh on Thursday attended a Food Safety Seminar as the chief guest at Hotel Shaurya, Patiala.
Seminar was organised on the theme “Rangla Punjab is Our Shared Responsibility—Safe and Nutritious Food, the Foundation of Good Health” and was jointly hosted by the Deputy Commissioner, Patiala, the Office of the Civil Surgeon, and the Food Safety Department.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Balbir Singh said the saying “As the food, so the mind” is not merely a proverb but a guiding principle for a healthy life. He stressed that, along with clean air and pure water, safe, nutritious, and quality food is an essential pillar of good health.
Minister said that promoting awareness about healthy eating habits is crucial for achieving Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s vision of ‘Rangla Punjab’. He added that the Punjab Government has been regularly organising awareness programmes and seminars to encourage healthier lifestyles among citizens.
Dr. Balbir Singh informed that experts from Punjab Agricultural University, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), and farmers engaged in natural and organic farming participated in the seminar. He said these institutions would work together to educate the younger generation about the benefits of chemical-free and organic food.
He noted that farmers practising organic farming avoid chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which helps produce healthier and better-quality food grains. Appealing to the public, the minister urged people to adopt natural and organic food as much as possible, saying that a healthy society can only be built on the foundation of safe food.
Health Minister also stated that the Health Department conducts regular inspections of food business operators and food vendors to ensure the availability of safe and quality food and to curb the sale of adulterated or substandard products.
Among those present at the event were Food Safety Commissioner Kanwarpreet Brar, Additional Deputy Commissioner Navreet Kaur Sekhon, Dean C.O.C.S. Kiran Bains, and other officials and experts from the health, agriculture, and food safety sectors.
