Lahore: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has sealed a food manufacturing company and confiscated a huge cache of artificial sweeteners and corn syrup during conducted an undercover operation under the supervision of PFA Director General Irfan Memon in the area of Thokar NiazBaig here on Thursday.
He said that the action was taken against Venus Food Company for changing the labelling of expired products, poor storage, as well as found expired flavours, chemicals, milk powder and corn syrup.
Meanwhile, hazardous vegetable oil was preserved in the prohibited non-food graded drums. He said that PFA’s enforcement team not only closed down the premises, but rather confiscated 20,000kg artificial sweeteners; 3,000 litres corn syrup; 2,000kg white flour, vegetable oil, cake base and chemicals. Irfan Memon said that the violation of the hygiene principles by popular food-producing companies is very regrettable. He further said that Punjab Food Authority is regularly checking the small and big food businesses without any discrimination that to be continued till the elimination of adulteration mafia from Punjab.
On the other hand, PFA has closed down eight food businesses over multiple violations while carrying out an operation to ensure the provision of healthy and safe food in the market as per the vision of Punjab government. PFA watchdog teams have also punished dozens of food business operator with Rs32800 cumulative fine and served warning notices for improvement to more than 200 food outlets besides discarding thousands of kilograms unwholesome food.
In Rawalpindi, PFA has sealed Salfi Nihari and Asif Traders for unhygienic conditions and selling expired carbonated beverages respectively. The team also seized 2,100 litres expired drinks during the raid. The director general said that Rana Foods was closed down due to poor storing of rice and spices. In another raid, Al-Rehman Darul Mahi over violations of PFA Act. PFA also warned 43 food business operators, asking them to improve hygiene conditions.
PFA Gujranwala meat safety team sealed Mohsin, Bismillah and Mashallah Chicken shops for selling meat of emaciated chicken birds, doing business without medical certificates, stinky environment and worst condition of hygiene. Meanwhile, the authority has penalized several FBOs with hefty fines over violation of the Act.
In Faisalabad, PFA has closed down Boom Boom Chicken Shop for not adopting cone slaughtering system, the presence of a bathroom in working area and worst condition of hygiene. A team of PFA also sealed Usman Traders due to selling adulterated and loose spices. Sar Yaz Sip & Bite was sealed by PFA owing to the poor storage system and use rotten eggs. PFA Toba team raided Shah Muhammad GujjarDairy and sealed it over failure the samples and for selling substandard food products. Apart from that, workers of the shop did not have medical certificates.
The PFA south region teams have sealed three meat shops over the presence of dead chicken birds, not submitted fine fee and failure to meet food standards. PFA has shut down Data Bakers and Zatoon Bakers due to using substandard ingredients and failing to produce food licenses. In Muzaffargarh, dairy safety teams have sealed Peer AshiqBakhsh Cream Separation unit and Moeen Ameen Milk Shop for removing the cream from milk, selling adulterated milk and failing to meet hygienic working environment. In Multan, PFA has closed down Al-Barak Foods Private Limited and Al-Noor Foods on account of fake labelling and for producing poor quality food for children.
Furthermore, PFA Bahawalpur team caught a fake milk-producing factory while taking action on the tipoff of its vigilance cell. DG PFA said that fake milk was being produced with vegetable oil, whey powder and hazardous chemicals. He said that it is a heinous crime to prepare fake milk with substandard material for minting money.
He added that by law, storing or selling of expired goods is a serious offence and PFA would not allow anyone to violate it. The counterfeiters are the foes of the nation’s future and deserve no concession at any cost, DG said.
