LAHORE: An enforcement team of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) raided a pickle factory in Badami Bagh and discarded 4,000kg of substandard pickles.
He said that the authority took action against the pickle manufacturing unit after recovering thousands of kilograms of fungus-infested pickles. At the same time, it was being packed in the attractive packaging of different popular brands.
He said that hazardous chemicals were being used during the process of drenching the inferior quality vegetable and fruit in vinegar and oil while it was preserved in the non-food grade drums. He said that FBO also failed to meet the food safety and quality standards defined in the Punjab Pure Food Regulations.
On the other hand, the PFA DG visited 18 food points in the city area and imposed a Rs 215,000 fine on eight eateries besides issuing warning notices for improvement to 10 others. Meanwhile, the authority discarded 1,300 litres of adulterated milk, lemon juice and expired edibles.
He said that milk was discarded after proving contaminated by polluted water, low levels of fats and a lack of nutritional values in it during lacto scan tests.
PFA DG Asim Javaid said that the authority took action against fast food restaurants due to the stinky environment in the storage area, the abundance of insects, and the worst hygiene conditions. Apart from that, workers at the food points did not have medical and training certificates.
He said all those businesses violating the Pure Food Regulations will be shut down across Punjab. He further said that food safety teams are always in the field to curb the adulteration mafia.
Moreover, he appealed to the public to read the writing on the label before purchasing any edibles.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024