The Punjab Food Authority has decided to ban manufacturing, sale and purchase of banaspati ghee for its extremely hazardous effects on human body by July 2020 and to restrict quantity of trans-fatty acids up to 0.5 percent. This was decided in a meeting of the Punjab Food Authority Scientific Panel here on Wednesday. The participants observed that high quantity of trans-fatty acids, Palmitic acid and nickel are used in manufacturing of banaspati ghee as 'catalyst' that may cause fatal diseases like obesity, diabetes, mental diseases, heart diseases and cancer.
In the meeting, it was decided that trans-fatty acids will be restricted up to 0.5 percent as per "Codex Alimentarius Commission". Within the period of three years, banaspati ghee's manufacturing, selling and purchasing will be completely banned i.e. by 2020.
DG PFA Noor-ul-Amin said that, according to an estimate, annual consumption of cooking oil and ghee for each person is 18 kg in Pakistan whereas it is 3kg in Europe. By keeping in view these facts, public is made aware of that olive oil, soya bean oil, sun flower oil and other vegetable oil must be consumed instead of Banaspati Ghee.
Meanwhile, Punjab Food Authority (PFA) sealed famous coffee point on Mehmood Kasoori Road and rewarded Rs 25,000 to Hico Ice Cream Factory during a raid against bigwigs of restaurants and food suppliers in posh areas of city here on Tuesday.
The PFA's food safety teams raided several eateries and checked their production areas at Mahmood Kasoori Road, Gulberg 2, Multan Road, DHA and other areas of city.
Raiding teams have issued fine tickets of Rs 25,000 to each International Bakery and Khalid Vermicelli located at Ghalib Market and Latif Chowk Vandala Road Shahdara respectively. The PFA has issued improvement notices to 23 eateries including Second Cup Coffee, Gloria Jeans, Coffee Planet at DHA Phase 5, Malmo Sweet and Bakers at Bhobattiyan Chowk and other food points during operation.
Mengal said that the PFA is heading towards its dream goal of healthy Punjab by ensuring the implementation of food laws and availability of good quality food at food points. He said the PFA is not only issuing fine tickets and sealing the unhygienic premises but encouraging others eateries by rewarding them for maintaining food standards set by the PFA.
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