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MULTAN, Jan 27 (APP):The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) launched a marathon operation in Khanewal to curb the sale and production of substandard and adulterated food items.
Food safety teams inspected milk supply vehicles, restaurants, marriage halls, grocery stores, and biryani points.
The crackdown was carried out at various locations, including Football Chowk, Noor Masjid Chowk, Kabirwala, Abdul Hakim, Talamba Road Mian Channu, and Jahanian Bypass. During the operation, 110 liters of adulterated milk, 90 liters of substandard cold drinks, and 30 kilograms of expired and prohibited items were seized and disposed of.
Violations resulted in fines amounting to Rs. 167,000 imposed on 10 food business operators. A restaurant in Abdul Hakim’s Ghausia Chowk was ordered to halt production until compliance with food safety regulations, due to the use of unclean water and pest infestations.
Further actions included penalties on four grocery stores, totaling Rs. 53,000, for selling expired products and substandard cold drinks. Two renowned food outlets in Khanewal city were fined Rs. 35,000 each for using monosodium glutamate (MSG) in their meals. Similarly, a pizza outlet at Jahanian Bypass was fined Rs. 20,000 for possessing expired cold drinks.
In another significant action, a marriage hall on Kacha Khoh Road in Abdul Hakim faced a Rs. 20,000 fine for storing expired spices and fungus-infested lemons. Additionally, heavy fines were imposed on two milk suppliers for diluting milk with water and reducing its natural nutritional value.
PFA Director General Muhammad Asim Javed emphasized the authority’s zero-tolerance policy against health hazards, reiterating that adherence to food safety laws was mandatory for all food business operators.