Minister for Food Samiullah Chaudhry and Punjab Food Authority Director General Captain (R) Muhammad Usman jointly paid visit to Township Model Bazaar and Mian Plaza Sunday Bazaar here on Sunday.
They visited a number of stalls including fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish, spices and etc for checking quality and food safety standards. On the occasion, food safety teams were also present. The teams have conducted tests of milk and spices on the spot to know the quality of food.
Enforcement teams of PFA have discarded 12 substandard food products over failure to meet the standards of Punjab Pure Food Regulations. The teams also discarded a huge quantity of stale and poor quality fish which put on stalls for sale. PFA has imposed Rs20,000 fine to a stallholder owing to violate the rules. Moreover, the authority served warning notices to bring improvement to several food business operators.
On the occasion, DG Muhammad Usman said that PFA in collaboration with district administration is doing work on a comprehensive plan to ensure the availability of standard food items in Sunday Bazaars. He said that the utmost priority of PFA is to eliminate adulterated food products from Punjab, in this connection, PFA arranged a weekly schedule for continuous checking of Sunday bazaars.
Minister Samiullah Chaudhry has appreciated PFA for preparing a comprehensive weekly schedule to check makeshift markets in Punjab. He directed authority to seal stall if anyone found into selling loose spices and pulses in future.