Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Wednesday closed down four food businesses while carrying out an operation under the supervision of its Director General Irfan Memon against adulterators, unhygienic food points and food processing units in the area of Pattoki and Kasur.

Besides, the authority has shut down eight food businesses and imposed fines totalling Rs396,000 on more than 60 eateries during its routine inspection operation in Punjab. PFA DG raided Samba Foods and sealed it for producing snacks with expired spices and dirty oil. He said that the team had also witnessed the abundance of lizards and rats, poor storage system and unhygienic conditions. Moreover, PFA shut down Al-Shafi Sweets in Ada Katchi Pattoki and New Paradise in Phool Nagar due to using rusty vessels, stagnant water in the production area and poor cleanliness arrangements.

He said that PFA also sealed Sheikh Tayyab Karyana Merchant over non-compliance of instructions and the presence of expired food items. Apart from that, workers of the shop did not have medical certificates. Meanwhile, PFA watchdog team have recovered 3,100 litres used harmful snacks; 1,500kg sweet jellies, rancid oil, artificial sweeteners and loose colours. Irfan Memon said that the use of expired food ingredients in the preparation of food that can cause health issues for consumers. There is no place for all those food business operators who are involved in the sale and purchase of spoiled and expired food. PFA is completely super active to combat the enemies of public health. Adulteration and counterfeiters mafia deserve heavy punishments and penalties, he added.

In another raid, a food safety team sealed a restaurant in Rawalpindi for failing to produce a record and poor cleanliness arrangements. As well as, the authority stopped the production of Punjab College’s canteen and Kallisto Multi Level Restaurant by serving emergency production. In Faisalabad, PFA sealed Jaffar Milk Shop for selling adulterated milk, failing to produce medicals and worst condition of hygiene.

Moreover, PFA Sargodha team raided Tanveer Ahmed Khoya Unit and sealed it over proved contamination of Banaspati ghee and chemicals in the manufacturing of khoya. As well as, food safety teams sealed four sweets shops in Muzaffargarh, Multan and Layyah. All sweets shops were sealed over adulteration, usage of prohibited food items, violation of previous instructions, presence of washroom in the production area and for doing business without food licenses. Similarly, PFA Muzaffargarh team closed down Atta Ullah Karyana Store owing to sale tainted red chilli, loose spices and expired beverages.