Fake chocolate factory sealed

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Tuesday sealed a factory producing fake chocolate of several popular brands and seized 5,000 kg material.

Acting on a tip-off, PFA Director General Irfan Memon along with a food safety team raided Al-Noor Traders and caught them red handed producing substandard chocolate with expired ingredients. The PFA DG said that artificial flavours, rancid oil and other poor quality ingredients were being used in manufacturing of chocolates and snacks. He said that fake chocolates were supplied to different local shopkeepers after fake packing of famous companies.

The raiding team seized 2,060 kg substandard oil, 1,200kg salt, 500 kg cocoa powder and 1,500kg artificial flavours from the spot.

Meanwhile, the authority also seized two mixer machines, a grinding machine and a packing machine.

The DG said the PFA’s vigilance team had unearthed the unit after tracing the supply chain in the faraway and suburban areas of Punjab.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Lahore Restaurant Association (LRA) met with PFA Director General Irfan Memon for consultation over the classification of restaurants which meet the provincial food standards.

During the meeting, The DG and delegation exchanged their views over classification system of restaurants in Punjab. The DG directed the department concerned to submit suggestions regarding the classification system as early as possible.

He said that the authority would keep those restaurants in category ‘A’ which would follow PFA laws completely. In the session, the supply of leftover/excess food to the poor people according to the Disposal of Excess of Food Regulation was also discussed.

Irfan Memon added that reward points would be given to all those restaurants which would follow the regulation.

He said that the purpose of the classification of the restaurants were to encourage the healthy food providers. The PFA provides free-of-cost consultancy to food business operators who provided safe and healthy food to consumers.

A delegation of Soup Industry Association (SIA) held a meeting with PFA Chairman Umer Tanveer Butt at his office and requested him for allowing use of fat extracted oil in preparation of soap.

The PFA chairman has referred the case to Scientific Panel and Board of Punjab Food Authority for submitting their reply on it. He said that PFA had already banned the use of fat oil in soap manufacturing because in the name of soap manufacturing fat oil is being used for cooking purpose. Furthermore, he said that withdrawal of the ban would be on the basis of the scientific panel’s suggestions and with the permission of the PFA Board.

He added that industry would be eased with facilities but health of the general public would be a top priority of the authority. Complete support of the soap industry is laudable.

The chairman said that conditional permission could be granted if the Scientific Panel agreed with SOPs of the usage of fat oil.