Food authority official briefs DIG about operations in Kohat

KOHAT: The district chapter of Food Safety and Halal Food Authority Khyber Pakhtunkhwa disposed of substandard food items worth millions of rupees and imposed heavy fines on eateries and shopkeepers for selling expired and unhygienic edibles in the district.

Briefing Deputy Inspector General of Police Kohat region Muhammad Ijaz Khan, Deputy Director of the Food Authority Kamran Khan Tuesday said that the authority had destroyed 7,199 substandard food items and beverages in the district during the past three months. Director Operations Food Authority Khalid Khan Khattak, Assistant Director Rukhsar Ali and others were also present.

He said that the authority sealed 48 eateries and other food outlets for lack of hygiene in the kitchens and issued legal notices to the owners and managers of another 628 hotels and restaurants for not adopting the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for food safety.

Kamran Khan said the authority also organised a number of awareness campaigns and workshops to sensitise the universities and colleges students about the beverages, snacks and other unhygienic food items.

The deputy director informed the visiting police officer that the authority imposed over Rs2.3 million fines on the owners of tankers for transporting adulterated milk to the district, for selling China slat, non-food colors and expired and low quality snacks and beverages.

Muhammad Ijaz Khan appreciated the performance of the Food Authority and assured police full support and cooperation to ensure provision of healthy and standard food items to people.

Later, Muhammad Ijaz Khan awarded shields and commending certificates to the owners of food outlets and backers for implementing the SOPs for foods.