LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Tuesday closed down a restaurant and penalized eight other food points Rs 160,000 cumulative fine during the ongoing inspection against adulterated milk and substandard food.

The authority also served warning notices for improvement to 21 shopkeepers and disposed of 3,500-litre adulterated milk, 140-litre substandard cooking oil, 50kg of expired meat, and dozens of rotten eggs, prohibited food colours and 10kg of non-food grade packing material.

PFA Director General Muhammad Asim Javed informed while talking to newsmen on Tuesday. He said that food safety teams thoroughly inspected 30 food points in G1 Market Johar Town while one of them was shut down due to using reused oil for frying the food. He said that using the same oil repeatedly increased the proportion of trans-fats, leading to cardiac diseases.

Further, he said eight food business operators (FBOs) were slapped with Rs 160,000 cumulative fine over violation of the PFA Act. The provincial food regulatory body also warned 21 food outlets, asking them to improve the hygienic condition, he added.

Similarly, a dairy safety team of PFA stopped a milk carrier vehicle at Chunian Bypass and discarded 3,500 litres of tainted milk on the spot. He said adulterated milk was being carried for supplying in different areas of Lahore.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023