25 food businesses sealed over violations

LAHORE:Punjab Food Authority (PFA) sealed 25 food businesses and discarded thousands of kilograms of unwholesome food, besides imposing hefty fines on numerous eateries in a province-wide operation here on Monday.

The operation was conducted on the special directions of PFA Director General Irfan Memon to control the adulteration and ensure the provision of healthy and safe food in Punjab as per the vision of Punjab government.

In Lahore, PFA’s enforcement team under the supervision of its Director General conducted a special raid and caught a vehicle (LET 7977) fully loaded with 1,968 litres of fake carbonated drinks in the area of Daroghawala. A huge cache of the spurious drink of popular brands was supply to Pattoki.

On the other hand, the PFA has sealed two pan shops and a general store after recovering prohibited gutka packets and expired food items during conducted different raids in Multan, Bahawalpur and DG Khan. PFA also shut down three sweets shops due to using loose colours and chemicals, not having labels on products and failing to produce medical certificates.

PFA Muzaffargarh team raided Muzamil Fat Rendering unit and sealed it for extracting oil and ghee from animal fats, as well as Waqas Slaughterhouse was shut down due to doing business without a food license and selling unhygienic meat. In another raid, a warehouse of Al-Madina Disposal House was sealed over illegally de-sealing a site. A team of PFA Khanewal sealed Akmal Spices Unit on the basis of the test report and for selling tainted spices.

In Rawalpindi, food safety teams have sealed Azam Nan Shop and Mahtab Warehouse due to the presence of pests, poor storage system and worst condition of hygiene. A team of PFA also shut down Gull Waris Foods & Tent Service over violations of food safety standards. Sufi Spices was closed down for selling adulterated spices.

Similarly, food authority sealed Food Mart in Gujranwala and Asif Paan Shop in Hafizabad over proved contamination of starch in ketchup, the presence of substandard foot items and selling gutka. PFA also sealed six meat shops in Hafizabad due to stinky environment of hygiene, not having medical certificates and over non-compliance of instructions. Further, Kamil Din Karyana Store was closed down by PFA for not submitting a license fee and poor hygiene. In Faisalabad, PFA has raided Bonjour Tuck Shop and sealed it for selling gutka and violating the previous instructions. It Shereen Mahal Breakfast point was closed down owing to the use of rusty vessels and unhygienic conditions. Apart from that, workers of the shop did not have medical certificates.