Various food points penalised for hygiene violations

MULTAN, Jul 15 (APP): The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) carried out a grand enforcement operation across Multan division to curb the sale of unsafe food and imposed heavy fines on various food points.

Food safety teams inspected meat and poultry shops, renowned restaurants, hotels, wholesale outlets, bakeries and dairy manufacturing units, imposing heavy fines for violations of food safety and hygiene standards.

During the operation, authorities confiscated and destroyed 50 kilograms of expired food items and 5 kilograms of stale meat.

According to the PFA, inspections were conducted in Multan, Khanewal, Vehari and Lodhran. In Multan, five hotels located at Tounsa Street Sher Shah, Gulshan market, Heer Wali Gali near Punjab Nursery, Latifabad Chowk and Ghanta Ghar Chowk were fined Rs130,000 for keeping expired food items, using unpackaged spices, poor sanitation, unhygienic kitchens and washing areas, and improper handling of meat.

Similarly, three meat shops on old Budhla road and Ansari chowk were fined Rs25,000 for selling stale meat and maintaining extremely poor hygiene standards.

Two distribution units near Mumtazabad railway crossing and the Bahawalpur road motorway check post were fined Rs35,000 after found insect infestations in storage areas and expired food products.

A raw papad manufacturing unit in Gulshan Habib colony, Mouza Samorana, was fined Rs40,000 for operating without a water filtration system, using chemical drums for storage, and preparing food mixtures contaminated with insects.

In Khanewal, two fast-food outlets at football chowk and Jamal chowk, Mian Channu, were fined Rs60,000 for employing workers with expired medical certificates, failing to replace water filters, using China salt, and serving stale and foul-smelling vegetables.

Two dairy shops at Zafarullah Chowk, Jahanian, and Thokar Chawan, Kabirwala, received combined fines of Rs45,000 after insects were found in dairy cream and unhygienic conditions were observed.

Likewise, two sweets and bakery outlets in Gulshan-e-Iqbal town, Mian Channu, and Lahore Mor, Khanewal, were fined a total of Rs70,000 for using expired bakery products, poor-quality egg yolks, insect-infested food, and failing to replace water filters.

In Vehari, two grocery stores at Chak 515, Burewala, and Adda Mian Pakhi were fined Rs25,000 for selling expired food items. A marriage hall at 451 Lot Bhattian, Burewala, was fined Rs30,000 for using China salt in food preparation, while a bakery at Thana Chowk, Mailsi, was fined Rs25,000 for using artificial colours and fungus-contaminated ingredients in food production.