The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) carried out a massive crackdown against Frutina juice in order to remove the stock of its guava fruit flavour from the market over proved the contamination of Carminic Acid (E-120) colour in it.
The drive was held throughout the province on the special directions of PFA Director General retried Captain Muhammad Usman. The enforcement teams of competent authority removed 898 packs of Frutina juice (Guava fruit flavour) during the operation across Punjab. Meanwhile, the authority visited 85 sites in Lahore Zone, 112 sites in Rawalpindi and 16 sites in South Punjab out of 213.
DG food authority Muhammad Usman said that the use E120 colour was being used in the preparation of Frutina juice. However, any product which prepared with Carminic acid (E120) is strictly banned in Punjab as per Punjab Pure Food Regulation. He said that food business operators cannot import any foreign products in which Carminic acid (E120) is being used. In this connection, the provincial food regularity body had advised the federal ministry to ban the import of the products that were not Halal. He further said that PFA would take strict action against the shopkeepers and violators who found guilty in future. He said that prohibited food colour E21 also known as Carminic Acid added that E21 extracted from an insect.