Fake beverage factory unearthed

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has busted a group involved in producing spurious carbonated drinks of different popular brands. The authority discarded 5,000 litres of fake fizzy drinks, 55-kg hazardous chemicals, loose colours, substandard sugar and poor quality of food flavours during a raid on a factory in Sadr area.

The team also seized 1,050 empty bottles, four kilograms of lids and labels, two gas cylinders, six chillers and a filing machine.

PFA director general Asim Javaid said police had registered a case against two people over adulteration and forgery on the complaint of the PFA. He said that the authority took action against the factory owner over the failure of carbonated drinks samples during the lab tests.

He said that fabricated fizzy drinks were being prepared with loose colours, hazardous chemicals, artificial sweeteners and unclean tap water. Fake beverages with fake labelling were to be supplied to the different local shops.