12 businesses sealed for rules’ violation

LAHORE:Allegedly ignoring the big food businesses, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) continued its raids on small and medium food businesses in the provincial capital here on Sunday.

Officials said the authority sealed six production units, four department stores and two fast food points in various localities of the City. Osama Chicken Burger G1 Market Johar Town was sealed due to use of substandard spices, dirty and smelly environment. A restaurant called Chicken Now in Wapda Town was sealed due to fungus infested freezer and extremely smelly kitchen.

The PFA teams sealed Gulberg store in Main Market for sale of expired items and poor sanitation arrangements. Sadaf department store in Gulshan-e-Ravi was also sealed due to substandard storage and presence of rats.

Ramzan Bakery in Rajgarh was also sealed for using foul smelling machinery and non-compliance with previous instructions. Ghaziabad chicken sale point in Baghbanpura was sealed due to use of foul smelling freezer and abundance of insects.

Al-Madinah Sweets Production Unit was seals due to the presence of dead insects and use of industrial colors. Malik Shehzad Pan Shop was sealed in Wagah on the use of defective oil and sale of illicit gutka. Sardar Fish Corner's warehouse was sealed for the presence of rats, lizards and open spices.

Bhola Sweets Production Unit in Wagah was sealed for the use of open colors. Yasir Bakery was sealed for use of broken eggs, incomplete labeling and lack of food licence. PFA DG said the drive was launched on the directives of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

On the other hand, sources revealed that the PFA was only taking action against businesses of middle and lower middle class.

Sources said the previous management of PFA introduced an open kitchen policy for the restaurants so that the customers could themselves check the kitchens of the restaurants, but presently restaurants were not allowing the customers to do so.

Sources said there was no complaint number on the website of the PFA to lodge a complaint. They said download section of the PFA website was also not updated and no meeting minutes of the board of directors or any other public documents are uploaded for general public.