PFA seals 24 food businesses

LAHORE : Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Friday sealed 24 food businesses and imposed Rs 620,500 fine on 95 food business operators for use of substandard ingredients, adulteration and failure to maintain hygiene at workplace.

The PFA food safety teams inspected than 4,000 food points in the province. They closed down six food businesses in Multan, two in Faisalabad, one in Bahawalpur, five in Rawalpindi, three in Sargodha and seven in Gujranwala division. They imposed fine of Rs117,000 on nine shops in Lahore, Rs215,000 fine on 28 food points in Multan, Rs86,000 fine in Sargodha, Rs83,500 fine in Gujranwala, Rs68,000 fine in Rawalpindi and Rs5,1000 fine in Faisalabad and its adjacent areas.

Besides, a water filtration plant and a bakery production unit in Lahore were also sealed for using PFA logo without permission, unavailability of lab test report, failure to provide fitness certificates of workers, abundance of insects and poor hygienic conditions.

PFA destroyed 320 litre energy drinks, 35 kg adulterated pepper, 40 kg spices, a huge quantity of ice cream, 50 kg ghee, 60 kg sweets and other substandard products.

Officials said a special raiding team of PFA nabbed three accused and handed over them to police after registered a case against them for their involvement in illegal food business and putting people’s lives in danger. PFA Additional Director General (Operations) Rafia Haider said the team raided Abdul Rasheed Distributors at Phool Market at Manga Mandi and sealed its two warehouses and two shops. A huge quantity of expired products was stored there. She said the accused were caught red handed changing the dates of expired food items. She said that the authority confiscated two trucks loaded with expired foods tuff, including toffees, biscuits and snacks.

Meanwhile, a 10-member delegation of Senior Management Course visited the PFA head officer. The delegation was led by Faheem Jehangir, director staff, National Institute of Management. Additional Director General (Technical) Dr Shahzaib Hasnain briefed the delegates on the administrative affairs and management structure.

PFA Director General Noor ul Amin Mengal could not meet them due to his illness.

OPC: Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC) Sahiwal Division Commissioner Ali Bahdar Qazi presided over a meeting to review the pending complaints of Overseas Pakistanis in Sahiwal Division.

Overseas Pakistanis Commission Director Revenue Ishrat Ullah Niazi, RPO Tariq Rustam, Deputy Directors Aqeel khan, Rizwan Nazir and civil and police high ups attended the meeting.

Ishrat and Aqeel apprised the meeting about the current status of pending complaints in Sahiwal.