On the radar: PFA cracks down on sale of substandard beverages
Authority raids unit manufacturing spurious juice
PHOTO: ONLINE
LAHORE:
As sales of beverages rise in line with mercury, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has stepped up efforts to curb the sale of substandard soft drinks across the provincial metropolis.
On Wednesday, PFA’s Allama Iqbal Town food safety officers under the leadership of PFA Operations Director Ayesha Mumtaz sealed a spurious juice manufacturing factory in Sundar area. PFA officials raided Lion Foods and recovered a significant cache of bottles bearing an erroneous address. The factory was manufacturing spurious juice. Manufacturing and expiry dates were not mentioned on its products. The “beverage” factory did not have any production or supply record. PFA officials collected samples of its products and sent them forward for tests. The authority also seized all equipment at the manufacturing unit.
Separately, PFA’s Samanabad officials sealed New Punjab Slush Point and Shahbaz Gola Point for using pernicious colours and chemicals as ingredients. Both outlets were manned by staff lacking requisite medical certificates. The utensils in use at the establishments were found to be extremely filthy on inspection. Nearly 150 litres of beverages were discarded by PFA functionaries during the raid.
In another raid, PFA’s Shalimar Town officials sealed Pharmagen Water Plant for operating without filtration equipment. Water samples from the plant had failed on being tested. PFA officials also sealed Ghaus Pak Milk Shop at Bund Road, Bismillah Milk Shop at Khwaja Ehsan Road and Mashallah Ice Cream Factory on account of poor cleanliness standards. The establishments had been vending adulterated milk and low-quality ice cream. PFA officials also inspected beverage quality across an array of shops across the provincial metropolis.
They inspected product quality and discarded inferior products.
The PFA’s Gulberg area food safety officers fined Al-Khair Hotel in Raja Market for poor cleanliness standards. The eatery had been using squalid boxes to pack food and was staffed by employees attired in extremely dirty clothes. Khan Pakwan at Sheller Chowk and Butt Sweets at Wahdat Road were also fined for similar reasons.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2016.
As sales of beverages rise in line with mercury, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has stepped up efforts to curb the sale of substandard soft drinks across the provincial metropolis.
On Wednesday, PFA’s Allama Iqbal Town food safety officers under the leadership of PFA Operations Director Ayesha Mumtaz sealed a spurious juice manufacturing factory in Sundar area. PFA officials raided Lion Foods and recovered a significant cache of bottles bearing an erroneous address. The factory was manufacturing spurious juice. Manufacturing and expiry dates were not mentioned on its products. The “beverage” factory did not have any production or supply record. PFA officials collected samples of its products and sent them forward for tests. The authority also seized all equipment at the manufacturing unit.
Separately, PFA’s Samanabad officials sealed New Punjab Slush Point and Shahbaz Gola Point for using pernicious colours and chemicals as ingredients. Both outlets were manned by staff lacking requisite medical certificates. The utensils in use at the establishments were found to be extremely filthy on inspection. Nearly 150 litres of beverages were discarded by PFA functionaries during the raid.
In another raid, PFA’s Shalimar Town officials sealed Pharmagen Water Plant for operating without filtration equipment. Water samples from the plant had failed on being tested. PFA officials also sealed Ghaus Pak Milk Shop at Bund Road, Bismillah Milk Shop at Khwaja Ehsan Road and Mashallah Ice Cream Factory on account of poor cleanliness standards. The establishments had been vending adulterated milk and low-quality ice cream. PFA officials also inspected beverage quality across an array of shops across the provincial metropolis.
They inspected product quality and discarded inferior products.
The PFA’s Gulberg area food safety officers fined Al-Khair Hotel in Raja Market for poor cleanliness standards. The eatery had been using squalid boxes to pack food and was staffed by employees attired in extremely dirty clothes. Khan Pakwan at Sheller Chowk and Butt Sweets at Wahdat Road were also fined for similar reasons.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2016.