LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) during the current year has inspected 839,437 food outlets, imposing fines worth more than Rs 1.759 billion on 80,681 violators.
As part of these operations, 2,245 units were sealed, while 1,146 cases were registered against violators. In addition, 14,734 food samples were collected from the market for laboratory testing, leading to the destruction of 191,464 litres of substandard oil and 229,778 litres of unsafe water and beverages.
Director General PFA Asim Javed disclosed this while addressing a press conference on Tuesday.
He said that food safety audits of multinational companies and well-known brands were also conducted across Punjab. Out of 139 industries inspected, 118 were fined a total of Rs 14.57 million, 19 were sealed until reforms were carried out, and four cases were registered.
The operations led to the disposal of 81,000 kilograms of unsafe oil, 30,150 kilograms of pickles, 15,000 kilograms of substandard sauces, 1,000 kilograms of contaminated red chillies, 640 kilograms of sweets, 10,000 kilograms of biscuit packaging material, and several other unhealthy food products.
Turning to the meat sector, Asim Javed reported that 60,934 shops and warehouses were inspected this year, with 247 cases registered against violators and 199 units were sealed. Of the 4.75 million kilograms of meat examined, nearly 696,000 kilograms were found unfit for consumption and destroyed.
The DG revealed that the dairy sector was also under strict scrutiny. As many as 41,113 dairy shops, units, and suppliers were checked, and 341 cases were registered against those involved in preparing chemical-laced synthetic milk. Over 218 million litres of milk were tested, of which more than one million litres were found adulterated and discarded. During other operations, the Authority also destroyed 46,232 kilograms of substandard spices and 13,850 kilograms of low-quality pulses.
In order to bring sustainable reforms, the Chief Secretary Punjab has directed the formation of a high-level joint committee comprising senior officers from both the food authority and the livestock department. The committee has been tasked with improving milk quality, production standards, and farm management practices, and will submit its recommendations within a month. At the provincial level, a liaison committee has also been established to monitor meat and milk quality and prevent counterfeiting. So far, under joint operations, 14.17 million litres of milk have been tested and 166,686 litres destroyed, while inspections of 6,545 meat suppliers and warehouses resulted in 100 cases, 37 closures, and the disposal of more than 53,700 kilograms of unsafe meat.
Alongside enforcement, the DG outlined several initiatives aimed at creating public awareness and improving nutritional standards.
He said the Authority had launched the Eat Safe Women and Eat Safe Kids campaigns, along with the school nutrition program, which is now entering its second phase following the success of the pilot project. He added that the Punjab Nutrition Programme is also being formally launched, while specialized initiatives such as the Ramadan Nutrition Guide, the Hajj Health and Nutrition Training Program, the Meat Safety Task Force, and the National Traceability System for milk are already underway.
The Food Authority has also set up a modern Food Business Facilitation Centre and introduced a paperless system to assist food operators. Public awareness campaigns have been carried out through mosques under the elimination of adulteration program, while a new district office has been established in Murree to ensure food safety for tourists. A bike squad has been launched for street-level monitoring, and a chat box complaint management system is being introduced to ensure quick redressal of public grievances. DG Asim Javed emphasized that on the special instructions of the Chief Minister Punjab, the Authority is utilising all resources at its disposal to ensure the provision of safe and healthy food to the people of the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025