The Sindh Food Authority (SFA) has undertaken a review of licences for companies operating water filtration and bottling plants, in line with directives from the Sindh High Court.
To enhance compliance and safety standards, the SFA has intensified its inspection campaign, assessing 463 food business units and reverse osmosis (RO) plants throughout the province that provide bottled and filtered water.
Director General Sindh Food Authority Muzamil Hussain Halepoto stated on Friday that inspections initially focused on units registered with the authority. Of the inspected units, 233 were found to be either closed or relocated from their registered addresses. To ensure thoroughness, SFA teams subsequently inspected 58 newly identified plants.
During these inspections, it was determined that 43 plants met Pakistan's safety standards, while 19 adhered to the criteria set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, 13 units were discovered to be operating under unsafe conditions, leading to an immediate halt in their production to safeguard public health.
The SFA issued improvement notices to 238 units, highlighting various safety and quality issues. These units had been given 14 days to rectify the identified concerns. Water samples from 82 units were found satisfactory and safe for human consumption. Conversely, 62 samples were deemed unsafe, prompting the suspension of production and the initiation of legal proceedings against those responsible.
Additionally, 52 RO plants not initially listed were inspected, along with 17 bottled water facilities. Units that failed to meet safety standards have been temporarily sealed.