Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Saturday sealed production units of renowned eateries and bakeries and imposed heavy fines on them for poor quality of food ingredients.

The PFA teams carried out raids under the supervision of its Director General Noorul Amin Mengel and sealed the production unit of Bundu Khan Sweets over use of expired khoya (a dairy product widely used in cuisines which is made of either dried whole milk or milk thickened by heating) in preparation of sweets. The PFA director general said that four maunds of expired khoya was recovered from the production unit of the Bundu Khan Sweets which was discarded on the spot .The PFA had earlier issued a 48-hour ultimatum to several confectioners, eateries and food outlets to ensure quality of products, besides hygiene arrangements. In other raids, the PFA teams imposed a fine to the tune of Rs 0.5 million to Cakes and Bakes, Rs 0.2 million to Shezan Bakers, Rs 0.1 million to Butt Sweets and Rs 50,000 each to Hafiz Sweets and Royal Sweets. Moreover, fine was also imposed on Malmo Sweets and Bakers, Mickey Foods in Nashar Town, Sufi Sweets and Bakers, Bilal Sweets and Bakers, New Kashmir Bakers, Rahat Bakers. According to the FPA DG, the action was taken over use of substandard products in preparation of sweets by the bakeries and eateries and unhygienic conditions. He said that the PFA teams would conduct raids after 24 hours at sealed production units. Meanwhile, the PFA teams also imposed fine to the tune of Rs 0.3 million to six production units located in three different cities, including Sheikhupura, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.

Published in Daily Times, June 25th, 2017.