18 food businesses sealed in City

LAHORE: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) sealed 51 food businesses and fined 174 businesses during its operation throughout the province on Thursday.

PFA officials said the authority sealed 51 food businesses, including 18 in the provincial metropolis, for not following the PFA’s instructions, using poor quality commodities in the preparation of food and poor hygienic conditions.

They said fine amouting to Rs 0.974 million was imposed on 174 food business operators. The authority served warning and improvement notices on more than 2,000 food points during the daylong activity.

A team of PFA sealed Golden Cool factory for producing poor quality and substandard juice in Harbanspura. The team confiscated 6000 juice packets and raw material of 8000 juices, including a huge quantity of artificial flavours, chemicals, cosmetic colours and artificial sugar. The officials also observed improper cleanliness arrangements and unavailability of clean water. PFA also routed out rusted machinery and removed it to the warehouse.

Similarly, PFA’s watchdogs closed down 33 factories, bakeries, restaurants and other food points in Punjab, including four food businesses each in Multan and Faisalabad, 13 in Rawalpindi, two in Sargodha and five each in Gujranwala and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions.

Besides, the teams also stopped the production of several food points throught the emergency prohibition orders. The PFA teams imposed fine of Rs 70,000 on 10 food points in Multan, Rs 76,100 fine on nine outlets in Rawalpindi, Rs 435,200 fine on 35 eateries in DG Khan, Rs 107,500 fine on 14 shops in Sargodha, Rs 131,000 fine on 20 businesses in Gujranwala and Rs 48,000 fine on businesses in Faisalabad.

The teams also destroyed approximately 20,000 kilogram adulterated and poor quality food items, including 2,780 kg adulterated spices, 9,445 kg dates, 2,040 litre expired drinks, 1500 kg sugar, 185 kg sweets, 1200 kg pickle, 96 litre soda water, 2,325 packs of gutka, 260 kg jam, 20 kg snacks, 35 kg stale bread, 38 kg adulterated tea bags and 800 eggs.

PFA also served improvement notices on thousands of food business operators over minor violations. Additional Director General (Operations) Rafia Haider said the purpose of the drive was to inspect the quality of food products and ensure the implementation of the food safety law.

Plantation drive: Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute Thursday launched “Tree Plantation Drive” to enhance healing atmosphere at the hospital and to contribute to slow down effects of global warming in the country.

President and CEO of PKLI Prof Dr Saeed Akhter; Medical Director Dr Amer Yar Khan; Associate Medical Director Dr Jahangir Abbas, Head of Marketing Department Altamash Pervaiz and other HODs and staff of the hospital attended the event.

Pakistan Cricket Team former captain Misbah ul Haq was the chief guest, while Lahore Garrison University Vice-Chancellor Major General (R) Obaid Bin Zakria was the guest of honor. Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Malik Tahir Javaid and Artists Ali Mir and Ayesha Jahanzeb also attended the ceremony. Dr Amer delivered welcome note, while Altamash gave the programme overview to the audience.