Illegal abattoir sealed; 2,000kgmeat, sick animals seized

LAHORE :Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Monday closed down an illegal slaughterhouse and seized 2,000kg dressed meat along with emaciated animals during a raid conducted on a tipoff of its vigilance cell in the area of Bakar Mandi.

PFA Director General Irfan Memon along with meat safety team raided Noor Da Dera and sealed it for preparing hazardous meat from emaciated and sick animals. He said that authority confiscated six sick animals and recovered fake stamps which were used to show the meat was verified by the authority concerned. He said that butchers can sell only approved veterinary stamped slaughtered animal products or meat in the market.

The substandard and inferior quality meat was being supplied to the local meat shops in the suburbs of Lahore for minting money after slaughtering emaciated animals which were purchased from different markets at fair price. He said the use of unhygienic meat is injurious to health.

PFA DG requested the people to point out illegal slaughterhouses that are working hidden in the residential areas and purchase healthy meat after slaughtering a chicken in front of their eyes.

Similarly, PFA watchdog teams of other districts have sealed 10 food points and slapped fine of Rs513,000 on more than 95 eateries besides serving warning notices for improvement to 1,000 food business operators during conducted routine inspection operation across the Punjab.

In South Region, PFA Bahawalpur team raided Hafiz Super Store and sealed it for selling expired food items, poor cleanliness arrangements and non-compliance of instructions. PFA also shut down United Bakers and Ideal Bakers in Rahim Yar Khan owing to use rotten eggs in the manufacturing of bakery items and for failing to produce food licence and medical certificates. Apart from that, PFA has raided Iqbal Frozen and sealed it over poor storage system and usage of non-food graded drums to store food. The PFA team shut down Kala Da Hotel and Sweets in Gujranwala due to using expired colours, the presence of washroom in the production area and poor cleanliness arrangements. In another raid, meat safety team sealed Billa Poultry over violation of emergency prohibition order and started work without completing the legal procedure. New Imran Sweets was closed down by PFA for not taking measures to control pests and unhygienic conditions.

In Faisalabad Division, the authority closed down Muhammad Ali Jinnah Educational School’s canteen for selling carbonated drinks, using non-traceable red chilli powder and the presence of cobwebs. The raiding team discarded carbonated drinks, 176kg banaspati ghee, 20kg sugar and 10kg chilli. PFA Ghulam Muhammad Abad team closed down Ajwa Shawarma & Burger for doing business without medical certificates and stinky environment.

Meanwhile, PFA has confiscated 850kg flour and mixer machines, raided Al-Noor Karyana Store and sealed it in Khushab for selling expired cold drinks, tea whiteners and spices. The team also witnessed poor cleanliness arrangements.

Furthermore, PFA officials imposed Rs69,500 fine on shopkeepers in south region, Rs85,500 fine on 18 eateries in Rawalpindi Division, Rs41,500 fine on 12 shopkeepers in Faisalabad Division, Rs74,000 fine on 15 FBOs in Sargodha Division and Rs242,500 fine on 43 food joints in Gujranwala Division.