Five food outlets sealed

LAHORE: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has sealed five food businesses and imposed a fine of Rs 378,500 on 58 food business operators over violations of food safety standards during raids across Punjab.

On the directions of PFA’s Director General Noorul Amin Mengal, officers have visited thousands of food premises and examined the quality of food and ingredients. Food safety teams inspected food safety kits under PFA mission to make “Healthy Punjab” as per vision of Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif.

A team of PFA has sealed ‘What'a Paratha’ food point for storing food at foot level, failure to provide medical certificates of its workers, for not using filter water, abundance of insects at other poor hygiene conditions in Awaisia Colony Lahore. The teams have shut down five food points including ice cream unit in Bahawalpur while two each businesses in Rawalpindi and Faisalabad. Teams also imposed a fine of Rs 114,000 on 15 outlets in Rawalpindi, Rs 58,000 on nine shops in Bahawalpur, Rs 97000 on 14 businesses in DG Khan, Rs 50,500 on eight eateries in Faisalabad, Rs 40,000 on six outlets in Gujranwala and Rs 19000 in Sargodha divisions. A good number of substandard, unhygienic and adulterated foodstuff was discarded including 1600-kg pickle, 2000-kulfi pieces 1566-litre, 1750-litre beverages, 900-kg fruit, 880-kg salt, 200-kg pepper, 70-kg sweets 150-litre rancid oil, yogurt, loose colour and other food items.

YDA: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Pakistan has appealed to the federal government to take action against fake Hakeems.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, YDA Pakistan SVP Dr Younas Munir and Dr Imran Shah in a statement said the Federal Ministry was required to re-structure Pakistan Hikmat Council. They appealed to the federal government to constitute a committee to inspect all Hikmat Colleges and shut down all substandard colleges.

They said fake Hakeems are selling sex medicines which is a major factor leading to kidney failure in young men.

They appealed to Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL), Punjab, to do the test of all such medicines and take action against all fake Hakeems and factory owners, who are playing with lives of public in the name of sex medicines.

French envoy: Representing French Embassy Pakistan, Director of Alliance Francaise Lahore Stéphane Gaillard visited Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center on Tuesday.

Accoridng to a press release, Gaillard had a meeting with the hospital’s President & CEO Prof Dr Saeed Akhter and other management and discuss matters of mutual interest. PKLI&RC Marketing Department Head Altamash Pervaiz took the guest for a tour of the hospital.