LAHORE: A team of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has unearthed a factory producing substandard confectioneries with prohibited ingredients here on Thursday. The raid was conducted in the area of Bund Road, Akram Park, under the supervision of PFA Director General Muhammad Asim Javed.

On this occasion, he said that the authority closed down the factory over violations and discarded a huge cache of hazardous food, including 35,000 substandard toffees, inferior-quality of chocolates, 500kg of whey powder, 450kg of coco powder, 200 litres of chocolate syrup, 150 litres of palm oil and five bags of prohibited colour. “The local area police have registered a case against the factory owner on the complaint of PFA while handing two accused over to police for further investigation,” he added.

He further said that chocolates and toffees were being made with expired coco powder and palm oil and they also witnessed worst condition of hygiene and rusty machinery during the raid. Apart from that, workers of the unit did not have medical and training certificates, he added. Javed said that the authority took action against the factory for doing the food business against the Punjab Pure Food Regulations, adding that the use of substandard and prohibited ingredients in the preparation of any edibles cause health problems for consumers.

He further said that the authority is taking all measures to ensure the effective implementation of law and polices in Punjab; the PFA is fully committed to ensuring a zero-tolerance policy against adulterators and counterfeiting in Punjab. The authority will make Punjab’s land narrow for adulteration mafia by rooting out their ‘dens’ and unlawful businesses, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023