LAHORE: In line with the zero-tolerance policy towards food adulteration, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has intensified its enforcement efforts across the province. From Lahore to Rajanpur, the PFA has taken firm action against food adulteration practices.
During October, the PFA conducted rigorous inspections of 104,790 food units/points, imposing fines exceeding PKR 126.3 million on 9,778 violators. Additionally, 280 food points were shut down due to severe breaches of regulations and legal cases were registered against 87 units found engaging in fraudulent practices.
Compared to last year, inspections have increased by 89.1%, while penalties have surged by 94.3%, demonstrating the PFA’s escalated efforts to protect public health. Over 132,000 liters of adulterated milk and 24,000 kg of substandard meat, along with expired oils and other products were seized and discarded.
In early morning checkpoints, the PFA inspected 41,926 milk-carrying vehicles and 13,637 dairy shops testing over 3.34 million liters of milk for quality. Across province, an extensive crackdown on meat shops resulted in the inspection of 8,773 outlets, with over 1.94 million kg of meat verified for safety. To further ensure compliance, the PFA issued improvement notices to 41,722 food points, while 3,317 new licenses were granted.
DG Asim Javed emphasized the importance of adhering to food safety standards warning that severe action would be taken against repeat offenders. He also highlighted the dangers of using substandard and expired ingredients stressing that such practices lead to serious health risks. "Food adulteration endangers public health and will not be tolerated in Punjab," remarked DG Asim Javed. "Those who engage in such practices are enemies of the nation." He urged citizens to report food safety violations by calling the PFA helpline.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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