Food Authority disposes of unsafe food items

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority disposed of a large quantity of unsafe and substandard food items that were confiscated during various operations across the Peshawar Division.

The seized items included hazardous beverages, spices, China salt, tea leaves, snacks, ketchup, pickles, milk packs, and other consumables, which were discarded at a designated dumping site in Peshawar, said an official handout.

A spokesperson for the authority stated that the food items were seized during operations in the Peshawar Division. He added that 202 bags of banned China salt, worth approximately Rs3.64 million, were disposed of. Around 580 cartons of substandard and unsafe juice, energy drinks, and packaged milk, worth around Rs400,000, were also discarded. Over 3,400 kilograms of substandard and hazardous spices and wheat bran valued at more than Rs2 million, were disposed of.

He said that during the operations, 10,000 litres of counterfeit beverages from various brands with an estimated market value of Rs1.2 million, were also seized.Substandard pickles weighing around 1,000 kilograms and worth Rs350,000 were discarded.

The spokesperson said the operations also led to the disposal of tea leaves, snacks, ketchup, tomato sauce, coffee, biscuits, chocolates, cooking oil, and vinegar, all of which were unsafe for consumption and valued at Rs350,000.He said the seized items were discarded in accordance with standard operating procedures at the dumpsite on Charsadda Road.