Unsafe drinks, expired bakery items seized

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority (KPFS&HFA) on Tuesday conducted large-scale operations in Peshawar and Nowshera, seizing thousands of liters of unsafe drinks and expired bakery items.

The actions were carried out on the special directives of Minister for Food Zahir Shah Toru against substandard cold drinks and the adulteration mafia, said an official communique. It added that a raid was conducted on a godown in Peshawar following public complaints. The operation led to the recovery of 1,130 cartons of unregistered and substandard juice, while expired bakery products were immediately discarded on site. The godown, which was allegedly distributing these products to local markets, was sealed and legal proceedings have been initiated. Similarly, the food safety team also raided a beverage manufacturing unit in Peshawar, recovering 600 liters of substandard and harmful drinks.

The unit was sealed, and further investigation is underway. The spokesperson further revealed that during an inspection in the Rashakai Bazaar of Nowshera, authorities seized 4,600 liters of low-quality flavored drinks from a wholesale dealer’s storage facility. Heavy fines were imposed, and legal action is ongoing under the Food Safety Act.

Food Minister Zahir Shah Toru praised the efforts of the food safety teams and directed that the crackdown against substandard and counterfeit beverages be further intensified. He emphasized that strict legal action would be taken against those involved in the production and distribution of fake and hazardous food products.