Unit making oil from animal waste sealed

LAHORE :The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) sealed an oil extracting unit for producing oil from animal waste and seized 800-kg offal in a crackdown on unhygienic food points in Tollinton Market, here on Wednesday.

PFA officials said during the operation two chicken shops were also sealed for not conforming to the authority instructions. They said the operation was conducted under the supervision of PFA Additional Director General (Operations) Rafia Haider under the directions from PFA DG Noorul Amin Mengal after receiving a report of an oil extracting unit from the PFA vigilance cell.

She said the unit was established along the drain where oil was being prepared from chicken filth like tail, wings other wastes. She said two other shops were also sealed for not following the PFA directions. She said it is strictly prohibited to open the shop door/window towards the drain side, but both shops did this.

The PFA imposed fine tickets of Rs 79,000 on 11 food points including, schools canteens, restaurants, hotels and milk shops, in the metropolis. A fine Rs 35,000 was imposed on three food points in Kasur and Rs 50,000 fine on Baba Gee Restaurant in Rajanpur. Meanwhile, the PFA sealed two eateries for having poor hygienic conditions in Rajanpur district.

Meanwhile, the PFA has dumped thousands of kilograms of adulterated food articles at the Lahore Waste Management Company’s (LWMC) dumping site at Lakhodair. Discarding procedure was monitored by Punjab Minister for Food Bilal Yasin along with PFA Director Vigilance, Deputy Director (Operations) Dr Farhan and LWMC officials.

The PFA also dumped adulterated spices, coloured snacks, toffees, honey, fake dry milk, soda, fake cold and energy drinks, ghee and other food items confiscated during operations held across Punjab in the last few months.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Bilal Yasin said: “On the directions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif we are working under a zero tolerance strategy/policy against adulterating units.” The Punjab government will make things hard for food manufacturers/ producers, who are producing and selling substandard, adulterated and unhygienic food products. Animal waste was dumped at specially established dumping points in an environment friendly-manner, the minister said.