16 food points sealed

LAHORE:The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Sunday sealed 16 food points and imposed emergency prohibition order on six others while carrying out a province-wide operation against sweets shops, desi ghee and khoya production units.

The operation was led by PFA Director General Irfan Memon in Lahore. The PFA DG said that food safety teams not only closed down the premises but also discarded 1,200kg adulterated food which was confiscated during the daylong operation.

The PFA’s enforcement teams inspected 346 units in Punjab to examine the food quality, hygiene and food safety standards. The authority penalised 31 food business operators (FBOs) with hefty fines and served warning notices on 277 FBOs for improvement.

The PFA DG said the authority sealed a warehouse of Butt Sweets on Nisbat Road for using expired ingredients in preparation of its products, poor storage system and presence of insects in the production area. The authority also stopped the production by imposing an emergency prohibition order on violation of the food law.

Irfan Memon said that PFA also took action against khoya units on contamination of skimmed milk, vegetable oil and powdered milk in khoya. The teams found adulteration of chemicals and loose colours in banaspati ghee and fake desi ghee. He said use of adulterated food causes several health problems to its consumers. He said the PFA would not compromise on the quality of food.