The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Tuesday sealed a factory producing fake chocolate of several popular brands and confiscated 5,000 kg material while carrying out a raid against counterfeiters in Fazlia Colony Loha Bazaar.

Acting on a tip-off, PFA Director General Irfan Memon along with food safety team raided Al-Noor Traders and caught them red-handed while producing substandard chocolate with expired ingredients.

He said that artificial flavours, rancid oil and other poor quality ingredients were being used for manufacturing of chocolates and snacks. He said that fake chocolates were supplied to different local shopkeepers after fake packing of famous companies, as well as substandard salt delivered to local food points with wrong address on fake packing.

The raiding team has confiscated 2,060kg substandard oil, 1,200kg salt, 500 kg cocoa powder and 1,500 kg artificial flavours. Meanwhile, the authority seized two mixers machines, a grinding machine and a packing machine.

DG further said that PFA's vigilance team had unearthed the unit after tracing the supply chain in the faraway and sub par areas of Punjab. He has warned adulterators and counterfeiters to immediately leave the wicked practice of forgery, otherwise, be ready to face the strict the action of the Punjab Food Authority.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Lahore Restaurant Association (LRA) on Tuesday met with Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Director General Irfan Memon for consultation over the classification of restaurants which meet the provincial food standards.