Punjab Food Authority starts functioning in Faisalabad
Minister opens authority office; says offices are also being opened in Multan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Murree in first phase
From our Correspondent
FAISALABAD: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has started functioning in Faisalabad to check food quality for protection of the people’s health, said Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yasin.
Talking to newsmen after inaugurating an office of the PFA at Muslim Town on Sargodha Road on Tuesday, he said that the provincial government was committed to eliminate adulteration in food items and sale of unhygienic/substandard edibles from the society. He said that the PFA had been established under amended laws and rules for strengthening the system of checking food items and taking action against the adulteration mafia. The minister said that the Punjab Food Authority was also establishing its offices in Multan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Murree in the first phase and it would be expanded across the province in near future. He said that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had approved the project of establishment of the state-of-the-art multipurpose food and drug testing laboratory at a cost of billions of rupees to ensure provision of pure and genuine foods and drugs to the people. The minister said that the Punjab Food Authority would work independently without any hindrance and political pressure. He said that restaurants, hotels, food outlets, bakeries, sweet shops and other eateries were being checked without any discrimination and heavy fines were being imposed on the owners for violating the Pure Food License and Food Act. He hoped that the PFA would yield successful results and come up to the expectations of the people of Faisalabad. He appreciated the efforts of PFA Director General Noorul Ameen Mengal for good performance of the authority. He also lauded the support of the district administration and said that coordinated efforts should be mobilised for achieving the desired results.
Speaking on the occasion, PFA DG Noorul Amin Mengal said that more than 20 staff members, including food scientists, had been provided to the Faisalabad office and operation had been started against the sale and process of unhygienic and adulterated food items. He said that existence of the PFA staff would be seen clearly by its performance and working. He said that an awareness campaign would also be launched along with holding seminars, distribution of informative literature and displaying of banners. He said that the owners of restaurants, hotels, food centres and food factories would be given advices for ensuring hygienic food processing and violators would be dealt with iron hands. He said that a vigilance system was also being introduced to detect the dens of adulteration mafia.
Later, Food Minister Bilal Yasin and PFA Director Gen4ral Noorul Ameen Mengal inspected some food centres and eateries at D-Ground, People’s Colony, along with the PFA officers and checked ingredients being used for frying chicken. The PFA DG imposed Rs 200,000 fine to the owner of a fried chicken centre for using expired oil. He advised the owners of eateries to keep health certificates of the staff with them.
DCO Salman Ghani, PFA Operations Deputy Director Operation Shahbaz Ahmad, food safety officers and others were also present on the occasion.
