Multan: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) intensified its against food adulteration and unhygienic food businesses, carrying out extensive inspections of restaurants, ice factories, bakeries, hotels, supermarkets and other food outlets across Multan, Khanewal and Vehari districts.
Acting on the special directives of the Director General, Punjab Food Authority, food safety teams inspected dozens of food businesses and imposed heavy fines on violators for breaching food safety regulations. During the drive, two bakeries in Khanewal were ordered to suspend production until improvement.
In Multan, seven restaurants located at Chowk Shah Abbas, Model Town Chowk, Muzaffargarh road near Baba Aziz Flour Mill, Chungi No. 21, BCG Chowk, Masoom Shah Chowk, Jan Muhammad Chowk and Qasim Bela were collectively fined Rs145, 000. Inspectors found the use of rancid cooking oil and expired spices, absence of mandatory medical certificates for food handlers and poor sanitation standards.
The enforcement teams also fined two ice factories in People’s Colony and Khan Bela road, Jalalpur Pirwala, Rs45, 000 for operating under unhygienic conditions and failing to comply with previously issued food safety instructions.
A pan shop on Masoom Shah road in Gulberg colony was fined Rs15, 000 after inspectors recovered expired food products from the premises.
In Khanewal, two bakeries located at Ghausia Chowk, Abdul Hakeem, and Tariqabad were ordered to halt production after officials detected the use of unauthorized food colouring in bakery products and widespread insect infestation in the processing areas, posing serious health risks to consumers.
Meanwhile, in Vehari, a hotel in Daniwal Colony was fined Rs20, 000 for employing food handlers without valid medical fitness certificates. Two supermarkets in Machhiwal and Soro Mor, Mailsi, were also fined Rs47, 000 for selling expired food items and banned China salt in violation of food safety laws. During the inspections, authorities confiscated and destroyed 9 kilograms of China salt and 36 litres of expired beverages.
