Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has pulled up its socks to control quality of food served at wedding ceremonies and party events, Daily Times has learnt.

In this regard, PFA has circulated a notice to wedding halls and catering companies under the PFA Act, 2011 Section 2(b) to adopt standard operating procedures (SOPs) and also get licensed with the Punjab Food Authority to run their business in five districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.

Wedding halls and catering companies have been asked to obtain licences until February 20 or get ready to face the music.

According to the notice, catering and wedding halls administration would be bound to use standard essential commodities during preparation of food to be served to guests/ customers. They have been asked to also ensure traceability of ingredients. Also, wedding halls have been asked to take services from the PFA-licensed catering companies only.

An estimated 100 wedding halls and catering companies are running their business and providing services to customers in the city. Most of them are not licensed, except executive wedding halls and catering companies.

Meanwhile, talking to Daily Times, Lahore Party Decorated Association senior vice chairman Asif Bhatti appreciated the PFA for taking the initiative, saying: “We are always ready to join hands with the PFA to maintaining quality of cuisine at ceremonies. To a question, he said that they were already providing good quality food.

According to the Punjab Food Act, 2011, a person shall not use any place for food business except under the prescribed registration or license while, the food authority may, in the prescribed manner, exempt a class of food operators from obtaining compulsory registration or licence.

Similarly, Section-32 of the act says, “If a food operator manufactures, sells, offers for sale, stores or distributes food without the prescribed registration or licence, he shall be liable to imprisonment for a term which may be extend to one year but not less than three days and a fine which may be extend to Rs 500,000 but not less than Rs 10,000.