Two substandard ice cream units sealed

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakht-unkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority (KP FS&HFA) on Tuesday sealed two ice cream production units in Mardan city over severe unhygienic conditions, use of expired chemicals and non-food grade colour.

The action was taken on the direction of Director General KP FS&HFA Shahrukh Ali Khan, said an official communique.

During the operation, three other ice cream units were served with warning notices, while a heavy fine was imposed against them.

During the operation, KP FS&HFA officials also confiscated over 400 kg of mislabeled material being used for the packing of the ice cream.

Similarly, various other beverages and water units were also inspected during the operation, the communique said, adding, the samples were tested with the help of a mobile food testing laboratory. In addition, it added, inspections were conducted in various other areas of the province.

In Lower Kurram various hotels, bakeries, meat shops and other food-related businesses were inspected, and the owners were briefed on the best food hygiene practices.

According to KP FS&HFA, various fish points were inspected at the Sardaryab area of Charsadda and the quality of edible oil was tested with the help of a mo bile food testing laboratory.

During the inspection, the quality of edible oil in three fish points was found substandard, on which the oil was discarded and the units were heavily fined.

The communique said the food safety officials also sensitised the food handlers working in the ice cream production units of the basic hygiene practices and the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the authority for the concern sector.