Food authority seizes substandard beverages

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority has been cracking down on the adulteration mafia across the province.

Inspection teams raided food-related businesses in Peshawar and Khyber district, seizing a large quantity of substandard and adulterated items.The spokesperson of the authority said the Food Safety Team inspected several businesses, including a cold drinks shop on

Phandu Road, where approximately 500 litres of counterfeit beverages were confiscated, and heavy fines were imposed on the owner.

The Food Safety teams conducted a joint operation in Naguman area, raiding a jaggery-making facility. During the raid, 1,200 kilograms of adulterated jaggery and 1,500 kilograms of sugar were seized.

The facility was found mixing sugar and other chemicals to produce jaggery, leading to the registration of an FIR against the owners and further action under the Food Safety Act.In another action, the Food Safety Team set up a checkpoint in the Takhta Baig area of Khyber district, inspecting vehicles carrying food items.

The mobile food testing lab was used to test samples of water, ice-cream, ghee, oil, and milk. Around 80 kilograms of ice-cream and 10 kilograms of local crisps were found to be substandard and were destroyed on the spot with heavy fines imposed on the owners.Director General of the Food Authority Wasif Saeed said the authority was determined to check food adulteration.