The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Tuesday clarified that authority did not share any news concerning the use of mutton could lead to coronavirus among people.
In this regard, PFA Director General Irfan Memon said that the no relation confirmed yet between goat meat and deadly coronavirus. He said that post on social media about not eating goat meat was absolutely fake. The director general has appealed citizens to like the official Facebook page (facebook.com/PunjabFoodAuthority) of Punjab Food Authority and contact its toll-free number 1223 for getting authentic information. Before believing on any kind of information related to Punjab Food Authority please must confirm from PFA, Irfan said.
On the other hand, PFA’s enforcement teams have closed down 10 food including one in Rawalpindi, three in South Zone and two each in Sargodha, Faisalabad and Gujranwala division. The authority sealed all food businesses on account of adulteration, substandard production and unhygienic conditions.
According to details, the provincial food regulatory body under the suspension of its Director General Irfan Memon has carried out a grand operation against unhygienic food points in the Rawalpindi, sealed one and issued warning notices to 13 eateries for violating regulations.
The operation was continued 10 hours long while food safety teams have inspected 17 food production units. DG Irfan Memon along with team raided Butt Karahi and sealed it over the presence of expired food items, poor storage system, an abundance of insects, worst condition of hygiene and for using loose spices in the preparation of food dishes.
PFA also slapped fine on Bom Bom Hot Spicy, Khabar Darbar Restaurant and Hot & Chilli over non-compliance of instructions. Meanwhile, the authority has issued warning notices for improvement to 13 food business operators including Habibi Restaurant and savour foods. The Punjab Food Authority is impartially dealing with all food business operators (FBOs) and its action would continue against violators without any discrimination, he added.
Further, PFA watchdog teams closed down sealed Ajwa Super Store in Layyah and Al-Rehman Bakers in Raheem Yar Khan due to using expired ingredients, doing business without medicals, poor storage system, an abundance of insects and the worst condition of hygiene. A team of PFA also raided Zakhi Paan Shop and sealed it for selling gutka and failing to meet hygienic working environment in South Punjab.
In Gujranwala, the teams shut down Rana Ghafoor Cold Store for preserving food at foot level and poor storage system. A team of PFA also closed down Narrowal Public School’s canteen in Narrowal due to selling carbonated drinks, stinky environment and non-compliance of instructions. Apart from that, workers of the canteen did not have medical certificates. Moreover, PFA has penalized six FBOs with Rs99,000 fine, discarded a huge quantity of unwholesome food besides serving warning notices to 119 shopkeepers.
PFA Faisalabad team sealed Shahid & Murabba Co Factory due to using rotten fruits and chemicals in the preparation of preserved fruits (murabba). The raiding team also witnessed worst condition of hygiene and the presence of washroom in the production area. A team also shut down Tariq Egg Traders for selling hatchery eggs, failing to produce a record and non-compliance of instructions.
Moreover, a team of PFA raided Jiggar Paan Shop in Sargodha and sealed it for selling gutka and expired food items, failing to meet hygienic working environment and poor storage system. Similarly, PFA’s dairy safety team has closed down Gull Yar Ahmed Khoya Unit on account of adulteration and for failing to produce medical certificates. PFA’s enforcement teams have discarded a huge quantity of unwholesome food including adulterated milk and khoya, gutka, chemicals and non-food graded colours. PFA also served notices for improvement to 120 food joints in Sargodha division.