Food authority seals shops, fines owners

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority sealed several shops and imposed fine on the violators for adulteration and selling hazardous items in Nowshera, said a handout on Tuesday.

The team equipped with a mobile food testing laboratory conducted extensive sampling tests of milk, spices, tea leaves, beverages, renowned national brands and sauces during inspection.

The officials conducted thorough inspection and scrutinized grocery stores, bakeries, naan shops, milk outlets, and wholesale vendors. At least 27 cartons of counterfeit national brands of milk packs, 30 kilograms of substandard tea leaves, 65 kilograms of substandard spices, 35 prohibited soft drink packs, and 10 bundles of fake chips were confiscated during the operation. Expired beverages and chips beyond their shelf life were also seized. The team sealed seven shops for flouting health preservation regulations and imposed fines on the violators.

Meanwhile, Food Safety Authority Director General Shafiullah Khan has lauded the successful endeavours of the Nowshera team. He stressed the non-negotiable stance on health preservation principles and issued directives to intensify crackdown against such nefarious elements.