Various food points penalized for hygiene violations

MULTAN, Jul 20 (APP): The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) intensified its crackdown on substandard and unhygienic food businesses across Multan division and imposed heavy fines on several food outlets and discarded 20 kilograms of unsafe food.

According to the PFA spokesperson, inspection teams conducted raids at pizza outlets, bakeries, restaurants, soda water plants, ice factories and dairy units in Multan, Khanewal, Vehari and Lodhran. Strict action was taken against businesses found violating food safety and hygiene regulations.

In Multan, five pizza outlets located in Adda Siddiqabad, DHA, Ghanta Ghar and Qasim Bela were fined a total of Rs95,000 for using expired bread, poor kitchen and freezer hygiene, and the use of uncovered spices.

Three bakeries on Suraj Kund road, Chowk Shah Abbas, New colony and Writers colony were fined Rs60,000 for failing to cover bakery products and sweets, using unsafe water, poor sanitation and insect infestation.

Two soda water plants in Basti Ariwala and Lutfabad were penalised Rs45,000 after inspectors found stagnant contaminated water in processing areas and the use of untraceable ingredients.

In Vehari, three ice factories on Metro road, Garha Mor, Fatahpur road  and Karampur were fined a combined Rs95,000 after insects were found in ice blocks and filtration systems were found to be inadequately maintained.

A well-known restaurant on Jinnah road was also fined Rs35,000 for storing food in fungus-contaminated freezers, maintaining poor hygiene in the production area and using contaminated water storage tanks.

In Khanewal, a khoa (milk solid) production unit and a cold storage facility at Kot Islam Kabirwala were fined Rs20,000 each over poor sanitation arrangements. A sweets and bakery outlet at Adda Wajhianwala was fined Rs25,000 for insect infestation, the absence of workers’ medical certificates and unhygienic conditions.