PFA Penalizes Papad Factory, Pan Shop Over Food Safety Violations

MULTAN, Jul 13 (APP): The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) intensified its crackdown on the production and sale of substandard food in Multan, taking action against a papad manufacturing unit and a pan shop for serious food safety violations.

Acting on the directives of Director General PFA Syed Musa Raza, food safety teams conducted inspections at Fawara Chowk, Shujaabad, and Adda Bili Wala.

According to the PFA spokesperson, inspectors found dead insects in the mixture used for preparing papad, while the factory’s storage area was infested with insects and maintained under poor sanitary conditions. During the inspection of a nearby pan shop, officials also recovered banned gutka.

The enforcement teams destroyed 500 litres of contaminated, insect-infested papad mixture and 172 sachets of banned gutka on the spot. The papad factory was fined Rs50,000, while the pan shop was imposed a Rs10,000 penalty for violating food safety regulations.

Director General Syed Musa Raza reaffirmed that the Authority would continue its indiscriminate operations against those involved in producing or selling unsafe and adulterated food. He stressed that no leniency would be shown to those endangering public health, particularly that of children, and warned that strict legal action would be taken against all violators.

He also urged citizens to report the production or sale of unsafe, unhygienic, or prohibited food items by calling the Punjab Food Authority’s helpline 1223, enabling timely action to protect public health.