LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Monday disposed of 3,400 litres of fabricated milk and lodged an FIR against the milk adulteration mafia after rooting out the machinery.

The raiding team seized two tankers, 48kg ghee, 45kg powder, a drum, a chiller, a pump, mixing machines and a weighting machine during the grand operation in Arzanipur Village and its adjacent areas.

PFA Director General Muhammad Asim Javaid told media that the authority took action against the milk adulteration mafia for producing fabricated milk with hazardous chemicals and detergents. He said the team disposed of 85 maunds of milk after proven contamination of polluted water, vegetable ghee and whey powder.

He said harmful ingredients were used to increase the thickness and sustain the fat level of milk. He said the use of tainted milk poses a threat to users’ health and causes stomach and intestinal diseases. He added that daily checks on milk quality are being done to ensure a safe supply of milk to every household in Punjab by placing screening pickets.

The PFA’s enforcement teams also witnessed cobwebs on walls, fungus layers in the production area, an abundance of insects and poor cleanliness arrangements, the PFA DG said.

He directed food business operators (FBOs) to ensure compliance with the rules prescribed in the PFA Act. He said that the authority would make Punjab’s land narrow for the adulteration mafia by rooting out their ‘dens’ and unlawful businesses.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024