IFA seals bakery

Islamabad: The Islamabad Food Authority (IFA) has sealed a bakery in Islamabad’s Lehtrar Centre after a surprise inspection revealed severe health and safety violations. Talking to this agency, Deputy Director Operations of IFA, Dr Tahira Saddique said that the inspection, led by food safety teams (FSTs), uncovered the use of rotten eggs, poor sanitation, and unhygienic conditions, prompting immediate action. She said that the IFA team discovered the bakery using 2,000 dirty hatchery eggs in their sweets, which were subsequently destroyed. The eggs bought cheaply from hatcheries, were part of a broader issue of unsanitary practices at the bakery, she added. Dr Tahira highlighted the severe lack of cleanliness, noting the presence of live and dead flies in the processing area and sweets, as well as rusted and dirty machines.

Furthermore, the inspections revealed that the bakery used non-food grade paper for packaging and stored sweets in broken, rusty trays. This level of negligence posed serious health risks to consumers, leading to the bakery’s closure and the destruction of all defective products, she added. She emphasised that using broken and dirty eggs in food preparation was a grave violation of food safety laws. She said that the IFA''s investigation also aimed to target those supplying these substandard eggs.

She warned that the use of such eggs in bakery products could lead to serious stomach and liver diseases. The IFA maintained a strict zero-tolerance policy on food counterfeiting while supporting businesses that adhere to high-quality standards. Dr Saddique reiterated the authority’s commitment to ensuring public health and safety by taking firm action against any violations.