14 food points sealed in Punjab over irregularities

LAHORE:The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) enforcement teams on Tuesday sealed 14 food points in the province, including four in the provincial metropolis, over violations of the provincial food regulations.

Besides sealing 14 foods points, the PFA teams also discarded 2,686kg substandard mayonnaise, ketchup and raw material. The PFA DG raided a production unit of a famous bakery named Rahat Bakers in Harbanspura and sealed it over violations of food safety standards like use of expired bread and wrong labelling on different products. PFA teams also shut down Merry Town Foods Products in Aziz Bhatti Town and Irfan Warehouse in Salamatpura.

The PFA DG said the teams witnessed rusty vessels, poor storage and an abundance of insects in the production area. He said the food authority closed down a production unit of Day Night Mayonnaise in China Scheme for using hazardous chemicals and starch instead of eggs to prepare mayonnaise. PFA has lodged an FIR against the owner of a production unit on account of adulteration and forgery.

PFA Rawalpindi dairy safety team raided Gujjar Dairy Milk Shop and sealed it for selling adulterated milk. A restaurant, Pimiento Grill Restaurant, was sealed for selling tainted spices. A team of PFA sealed Mahar Munir & Sons in Faisalabad for using chemicals, poor storage system and stinky environment. PFA Toba Tak Singh team shut down Al-Madina Karyana Store and Milk Shop for selling adulterated milk, poor cleanliness arrangements and non-compliance of instructions.

In the South region, food teams sealed Saleem Cold Corner and Hashim Traders over contamination in spices, preserved food at foot level and for selling gutka. PFA Layyah team shut down a sweets shop for falling to meet the food safety standards. A team of PFA raided Mahar Traders in Rahim Yar Khan and sealed it over not producing the record of stock and on account of forgery. Similarly, Royal Fried Chicken was sealed for using Chinese salt and loose spices in preparation of food dishes.

PFA’s watchdog team raided Shah Karyana Store in Hafizabad and sealed it over selling gutka and worst condition of hygiene. Moreover, PFA has stopped the production of Mashallah Brothers Chicken Poultry and Lasani Sweets by serving emergency prohibition orders on them.

Out of Rs360,000 cumulative fine, PFA officials imposed Rs161,000 fine on 13 eateries in south region; Rs21,000 fine on four shopkeepers in Gujranwala division; Rs25,000 fine on three food points in Sargodha division; Rs59,000 fine on 11 food business operators in Faisalabad division and Rs94,000 fine in Rawalpindi division.

Symposium: King Edward Medical University (KEMU) held a symposium on World Cancer Day on Tuesday.

To show solidarity with the cancer patients and cancer survivors, a walk was also held at KEMU under the supervision of Vice-Chancellor Prof Khalid Masood Gondal. Specialised Health and Education Secretary Barrister Nabeel Ahmed Awan was the chief guest of the ceremony.

He appreciated the KEMU for its role in promoting awareness about cancer. He assured his full support to facilitate management of cancer patients. The guest of honor was Prof Alfareed Zafar, principal of Ameer-ud-Din Medical College, Postgraduate Medical Institute/Lahore General Hospital. Prof Asghar Naqi was also present.

In-charge Department of Oncology Dr Abbas Khokar presented the data of cancer patients at Mayo Hospital. The organiser of the seminar, Prof Ayesha Shaukat, presented five-year data of Breast Clinic at Mayo Hospital and requested the health secretary to formulate a cancer registry body at the provincial level.