PFA softens stance on substandard ghee, oil

Authority DG says ‘we don’t want to shut down industry but to improve it’

LAHORE

After launching an aggressive campaign against ghee and oil manufacturers, Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has softened its stance on lifting of products which the authority had already advertised as unfit for human consumption and substandard.

In the last week of May 2017, PFA had directed around 50 oil and ghee manufacturers to lift back their stocks from the market. The authority had also made public the quality report of all oil and ghee manufacturers across the province according to which several brands were declared unfit for human consumption and substandard.

The officials said in March 2017, PFA took samples of around 120 oil and ghee brands from the open market and sent them to PCSIR laboratories for chemical and physical checking.

PFA officials said as per laboratory report, 26 brands namely Commander Banaspati, Sultan Banaspati, Salva Banaspati, Shah Taj Banaspati, Gai Banaspati, Eva Sunflower, Kesan Sunflower, Season Banaspati, Sher Banaspati, Sher Cooking Oil, Zaika Banaspati, Umber Banaspati, Pure Royal Premium Banaspati, Sewera Banaspati, Yaadgar Banaspati, Darja Awal Banaspati, Shahbaz Banaspati, Care Banaspati, Mujahid Banaspati, Dua Banaspati, Taza Banaspati, Hafiz Banaspati, Kausar Banaspati, Latif Banaspati, Asia Banaspati and Darja Awal Cooking Oil were declared unfit for human consumption.

The substandard brands included Shan Cooking Oil, Islamabad Cooking Oil, Marwa Cooking Oil, Evian Cooking Oil, Asia Pure Cooking Oil, Islamabad Banaspati, Handi Cooking Oil, Shah Taj Premium Cooking Oil, Ashiyana Banaspati, Mamta Banaspati, Data Banaspati, Prime Banaspati, Handi Banaspati, Ghosiya Banaspati, Mehr Banaspati, Soya Supreme Banaspati, Inam Banaspati, Rani Gold Banaspati, Taza Gold Banaspati, Rehmat Banaspati, Swad Banaspati, Malta Banaspati, Khebar Banaspati and Askari Banaspati.

After releasing this report to media, PFA further went a step ahead and started lifting products of these brands and in the first phase all stocks of these brands were removed from Ramazan Bazaars and then from open market.

However, after this PFA suddenly stopped its drive of lifting of stock of these brands from the markets.

A survey conducted by the scribe revealed that majority of these brands, which were declared substandard or unfit for human consumption are now available in open markets.

Even big grocery and super stores are also selling some of these brands and when the scribe asked one of the employees of a big store at Thokar about this he said the store didn’t get any intimation by PFA to remove these ghee/oil brands from shelves.

When contacted, Noorul Amin Mengal, PFA DG, said the authority is preparing issuance of Notice of Prohibition Order to the above mentioned brands and his teams are working on this. “We don’t want to shut down the industry but we want to improve the industry by filling gaps,” Mengal said, adding once after the issuance of notice of Prohibition Order PFA teams will visit the factories and give them instructions about their shortcomings after which a one month time again be given to them. He maintained that re-sampling of these factories will be done after that and in case they failed to pass the test, their production units will be sealed.

Talking about a general perception that PFA launched a campaign against a specific industry, publicised it on media and then suddenly all became well, Mengal said this perception is completely wrong and PFA had enforced new standards in milk and tea whitener cases.

He said recently PFA banned use of carbonated and energy drinks in schools and colleges, which is a very big step and was taken despite huge pressure.