PFA imposes hefty fines on 34 eateries

LAHORE: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) served warning notices for improvement to 76 food business operators (FBOs) and penalised 34 eateries with hefty fines besides discarding 6,850 litre substandard milk during the ongoing Ramazan Sehri and Iftari Inspection campaign.

PFA’s food safety team inspected 268 food points in different areas of Lahore to ensure the provision of hygienic, adulteration-free and standardised food to the people during Ramazan. The PFA spokesperson said that the authority imposed fines for using substandard chicken, ignoring preventative measures to control pests and preserving food at the surface of the floor without covering it. He said that the authority discarded 171.25 maunds of substandard milk and 71kg of other products during the campaign.

He said that special teams have been performing their duties in the field at Sehr and Iftar times. Citizens can complain regarding violation of food safety issues, adulteration mafia and unhygienic food points on 1223 helpline of PFA, he added. Meanwhile, a PFA enforcement team raided a beverage manufacturing unit on Sheikhupura Road Mandhali Stop and imposed a fine of Rs60,000 over violations of the Food Act.

A PFA spokesperson said that the food safety team raided the factory and caught the accused red-handed producing unhygienic beverages with the help of expired flavours and substandard ingredients.

He said the raiding team also witnessed the presence of insects and cigarette butts in the production area. Apart from that, the food business operator failed to ensure hygienic working environment as per the law.