RAWALPINDI:The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) imposed hefty fines on three food business operators (FBOs) over multiple violations of the Provincial Food Act during an inspection drive in Rawalpindi division.
On the directions of PFA Director General Raja Jahangir Anwar, PFA’s watchdogs inspected general stores, hospital canteens, eateries and milk carrier vehicles in a daylong inspection drive. He said that teams thoroughly inspected the food quality, hygiene and food safety standards.
He said that a team of PFA raided a hospital’s canteen in Rawalpindi and imposed a fine of Rs20,000 due to selling expired carbonated drinks.
In Jhelum, a food safety team penalized a general store with a Rs15,00 fine due to the presence of expired spices. Apart from that, the food safety team witnessed an unhygienic working environment, he added.
He further said that a dairy safety team of PFA Jhelum also imposed a fine on a milk carrier vehicle after proven contamination in the milk.
Further, the teams took action against bakeries and general stores in Chakwal for selling substandard bakery items and gutka.
He said the sale of gutka is strictly prohibited in Punjab after the PFA imposed a ban on it.
He said the use of gutka causes mouth, stomach, and neck cancer.
PFA DG said that the authority discarded 852 litre spurious drinks, 120 litre tainted milk, 75 litre cold drinks, 63 sachets of gutka, 25kg adulterated spices.
He said that PFA had been taking stringent action against the violators without any discrimination to ensure the provision of healthy and safe food under the Safe Food City project.