LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority’s special operations teams on Wednesday stopped the production of a food point and penalized 42 eateries while carrying out an intensified inspection drive on cooking centers to ensure the provision of safe food for the public during Muharram.
The PFA warned 485 cooking centers, asking them to improve their hygienic condition. PFA Director General Raja Jahangir Anwar said that special operations teams inspected 544 cooking centers across Punjab, including 61 in Lahore division, 149 in Faisalabad, 55 in Sahiwal, 26 in Rawalpindi, 72 in Gujranwala, 47 in Sargodha division, 28 in Bahawalpur, 40 in Multan and 68 in Muzaffargarh.
He said that all operation wings, vigilance, water and dairy safety teams had been divided into Muharram-ul-Haram special operations teams. He said that teams would thoroughly inspect cooking centers and Langar Khana (soup kitchen) besides ‘sabeel’ stalls also en route to Muharram-ul-Haram processions.
Raja Jahangir said that only filtered water was being allowed to be used on ‘Sharbat Sabeels’ as well as the milk was being checked with lactoscan machines at milk sabeel stalls. Moreover, the use of substandard ingredients in food dishes and poor sanitation situations were being rectified on the spot, he added.