The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has sealed seven milk shops in the provincial metropolis and 12 others across Punjab. These food points were sealed due to adulteration, unhygienic conditions and non-compliance with food laws.
PFA Director General Irfan Memon has led the operation in the area of Garhi Shahu on Allama Iqbal Road, Lahore and sealed five milk shops besides disposing of 1,375 litre adulterated milk. During the operation, PFA has sealed Data Ali Hajveri Milk Shop, Hafiz Milk Shop, Ali Milk Shop, Lala Fazal Milk Shop and Subhan Milk Shop.
The director general said that all milk shops were shut down over found low level of LR in milk, neglected the previous instructions of the authority, covered yogurt with dirty clothes and poor cleanliness arrangements. He said that PFA also witnessed the presence of washroom in the washing area and abundance of insects like cockroaches and flies. He further said that PFA penalized Malkari Milk Shop, Charki Milk Shop and Al-Madina Milk Shop with hefty fines over violation of Punjab Pure Food Regulations.
He added that the purpose of the inspection operation was to ensure the provision of healthy and safe food in the market as per the vision of the Punjab Government. The director general said the PFA is vigilantly monitoring to ensure the safe food from farm to plate.
Moreover, a meat safety team has raided Mashallah Chicken Sale Center and sealed it for failing to meet hygienic working environment. PFA Attock team closed down Mian Muhammad Dahi Shop for selling adulterated yogurt. The authority also stopped the production of Javed Spices by serving an emergency prohibition order.
PFA Hafizabad team sealed Mahar Khalid Karyana Store for storing expired food items with beverages, not paying a license fee and failing to produce traceability record of food.
A team of PFA has raided Ahmed Chicken in Sialkot and sealed it for not following the cone slaughtering system and selling meat of sick and emaciated chicken. In Mandi Bhauddin, two milk points were closed down by PFA over proved contamination in milk and for not wearing food safety kits during duty.
In Multan, food authority closed down Malik Foods and Muhammad Ramazan Grinding unit over mislabelling, poor cleanliness arrangements and for selling tainted spices. PFA Bahawalnagar team sealed Naseeb Restaurant and Italian Pizza due to using rancid oil, an abundance of pests in the kitchen area and poor storage system. Insaf Tea unit was sealed by PFA after failing its tea samples in the laboratory test. Furthermore, two eateries were sealed for violations in Vehari.
On the other hand, dairy safety teams under the supervision of PFA Director Operation Shahzad Magsi disposed of 680 litre adulterated milk by placing screening pickets in Multan.
He said that harmful powder, chemicals and polluted water were found in the milk during conducted screening tests of the milk samples on the spot and take immediate action as per the test’s report. He said that adulterated ingredients were used to increase the thickness and quantity of milk.