3,708-litre spurious beverages seized

LAHORE: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Tuesday unearthed an illegal factory producing fake carbonated drinks of different popular brands and confiscated 3,708 litres of spurious beverages in a raid.

PFA Director General Shoaib Khan Jadoon said that acting on a tipoff, a food safety team conducted the raid in Wagah area and confiscated thousands of litres of fake beverages, 25-kg artificial flavours and two-kg loose colours. He said the fake drinks were being prepared with artificial sweeteners, chemicals, loose colours and contaminated water. He said that the use of spurious drinks prepared without formula might lead to cancer and ulcer diseases.

Jadoon said fake bottles were supplied to local shops in the market after fake packaging and labelling. He said that the enemies of public health adopt the wicked practice of adulteration to meet the demand for beverages that usually increases during the month of Ramazan. The adulterators also failed to present the record, medical certificates and a food licence on the spot, he said. The director general said that PFA is committed to adulteration free Punjab.