Inspection of hospitals canteens: PFA penalizes 50 canteens with heavy fines, serves improvement notices to 154 FBOs


The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Thursday carried out a special inspection drive to check the food safety standards and quality at hospital canteens across Punjab.

In this connection, the food safety teams have thoroughly examined 264 canteens of different Teaching Hospitals, DHQs, THQs and healthcare centers in 36 districts of Punjab. While, the authority penalized Food Business Operators (FBOs) of 50 canteens with heavy fines and served warning notices for improvement to 154 over non-compliance with the food regulations. Out of 164, the teams inspected 54 canteens in Lahore Zone, 154 in Rawalpindi, 29 in Multan and 27 in Muzaffargarh Zone.

PFA Director General Captain (R) Muhammad Usman said that the purpose of the inspection was ensuring the provision of healthy and safe food for patients and their attendants, as well as the general public. He said that the action was taken against violator FBOs over the worst condition of hygiene, failure to produce medicals of workers, usage of adulterated milk and the presence of rodents in the kitchen area. He said that the Punjab Food Authority would not tolerate the provision of below the standard the food at the hospital’s canteens at any level, while the inspection drive to be continued against them till the availability of quality and healthy food in hospitals. He mentioned that the use of hazardous quality food is injurious to health for people and causes of different health problems like food poisoning.


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