Nine salt processing units sealed

LAHORE: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) held a crackdown on salt processing factories throughout the province after completing the given deadline to them to ensure food fortification in salt and food standards.

Out of 264 salt processing units, nine were sealed and 164 served with warning notices for not abiding by PFA’s instructions. On the special directions of PFA Director General Noorul Amin Mengal, Food Safety Teams under the supervision of Deputy Directors and food safety officers of the respective area conducted raids in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan.

They sealed two units in Multan region, three in Lahore and four in Rawalpindi regions. PFA had given a deadline to salt units during a meeting with their representatives in 2017, chaired by DG PFA.

Noorul Amin Mengal said that improvement notices had been issued up to a month after completing the deadline however, dozens of salt processing units failed to fulfill the PFA requirements despite providing soft corner to them. He said PFA had given business adjustment time to all salt processors for the fortification of salt until February 15. Salt is a staple ingredient of food and it is compulsory for processors to add iodine to its manufacturing. Use of iodine salt in routine life will help to control the nutritional deficiency. PFA is ensuring the fortification and ratification process of salt, flour, cooking oil and ghee also, he added.

food units: Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has started a crackdown on illegal and unregistered pickle and spices units, and sealed two food factories and seized a huge quantity of stock for not having PSQCA licences.

A PSQCA taskforce sealed facotries were located near Ruhi Nulla and on Ferozepur Road. The stock of both factories, including pickle and red chilli, was seized. The authority also seized total stock of another food manucturing unit at Gajjumata over preparing unregistered products, including vinegar and pickle.

According to PSQCA spokesman, on the directions of Federal Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain, PSQCA Director General Khalid Siddique has constituted the taskforce to check illegal, un-licensed and substandard units of pickle, honey and spices. The taskforce will raid different areas of the provincial capital and seal the illegal factories. The DG ordered the taskforce to continue the action against the illegal and unregistered manufacturers of food items and cosmetics.