Food safety teams of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Wednesday in the province-wide crackdown sealed five factories illegally producing juices of the different popular brands. The provincial food regulatory body recovered 1,344 litres hazardous juice, 525 litres fake soft drinks and 5,300 empty boxes during the raids. Five gas cylinders, three filling machines, storage tank, fake labels and other raw material were confiscated by PFA while it also discarded a huge quantity of loose colours and chemicals.
PFA Director General Muhammad Usman said that authority has shut down a factory in Muridke, on charges of refilling bottles in the different brands of carbonated drinks and making spurious bottles with chemicals and contaminated water. He said that PFA has registered a case against the factory owner in the nearest police station.
Moreover, PFA's officials have sealed Aftab Juice, Nadeem Juice and Kashif Juice in Sahiwal as well as Nadeem Ice Drink in Okara. He said that PFA closed down all juice factories for preparing juices with artificial flavours, loose colours and chemicals. He said that chemically contaminated juices were selling to different shops in the market in the name of juices after giving them attractive packaging. Muhammad Usman has appealed citizens to use homemade juices because homemade food is best for consumer health. The PFA is eagerly working to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food to masses in the market. People can inform PFA about adulteration mafia and food-related issues on its Facebook Page, mobile application and Toll-Free number 0800-80500, he added.
DG PFA, meanwhile, has directed food safety teams to be more active and continuous inspections of fruits, vegetables, pulses and other essential commodities in the Ramazan Bazaars.
He also directed to depute food safety teams round the clock in markets to ensure the provision of healthy and safe food for mass.
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