LAHORE: Food safety teams of the Punjab Food Authority on Tuesday inspected 884 food points to ensure healthy and quality food for commuters situated at different motorway service areas across the province.
The teams visited cafes, restaurants, tuck shops and other eateries in the motorway service areas to check the food quality and hygiene. The teams thoroughly examined the production area, kitchens and other areas of the food outlets.
During the operation, the authority shut down five famous restaurants and punished 132 food business operators (FBO) by imposing fine of Rs2.575 million and issued warning notices for improvement to 682 others. They also discarded 40 liters of substandard edible oil, seven mounds of expired snacks, and a huge quantity of beverages.
PFA DG Muhammad Asim Javaid said that the authority shut down food points due to displaying expired cold drinks, snacks and other confectionary items on racks for selling purposes. He said that FBOs also failed to present the necessary records to the raiding teams and maintain a hygienic working environment.
Meanwhile, the authority imposed hefty fines over violations of the Punjab Pure Food Regulations and served warning notices for improvement to others, asking them to improve hygiene conditions and remove minor issues, he added. He further said that the purpose of the inspection was to examine the food quality, hygiene issues and food safety standards to ensure clean and sterile food for passengers as per the Punjab Pure Food Regulations.
He said the PFA was continuously checking eateries on GT Road, Lari Adda, Bus terminals, Railway Stations, and Motorway Service Areas on the Chief Minister's directives. He said that all items for sale at food points must be approved by the Punjab Food Authority. Further, He directed FBOs to buy food products only from Punjab Food Authority licensed suppliers.
Moreover, he said that the authority would continue its indiscriminate action against counterfeiters and adulterators till complete elimination from Punjab. He has warned food points located on M1, M2 and M3 to ensure high quality of food otherwise, strict action will be taken over violation against FBO. He said commuters should check the food quality before buying food items from service areas. If there are any issues, please register your complaint on the PFA helpline, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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