The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Friday launched a province-wide inspection drive on sweets production units to ensure implementation of Punjab Pure Food Regulations.
As many as 1,280 sweet production units were checked in a daylong drive in 36 districts of Punjab. During the operation, PFA has sealed 56 units and charged 263 food business operators with heavy fine tickets for violating the rules of PFA Act.
The drive was carried out on the special directions of PFA Director General Captain (R) Muhammad Usman. The purpose of the drive was to thoroughly check the sweet manufactures including food ingredients, food safety standards, hygiene issues, food quality and etc.
PFA also registered cases against two units over serious violations of food law. Moreover, food safety teams have served warning notices for improvement to 900 sweets shops and stopped the production of eight units by serving emergency prohibition orders. PFA’s watchdogs inspected 450 sweet units in Lahore Zone, 520 in Rawalpindi Zone, 270 in Multan and 40 units in Muzaffargarh.
Muhammad Usman said that PFA sealed sweet shops for using textile colours, artificial flavours, chemical and saccharine in the preparation of sweets. He said that teams also witnessed poor storage system, use of rusty vessels, an abundance of flies, open drains and poor personal hygiene during raids. He informed that several manufacturers were being used rancid oil and non-food grade drums for storage purpose. He further said that FBOs can get the complete guidelines as given by the authority on its website and Facebook Page in order to improve the food standards.