PFA launches operation against illegal slaughterhosues

LAHORE: Following a successful operation against adulterated milk and rotten eggs, the Punjab Food Authority has once again started operation against illegal slaughterhouses and the sale of unwholesome meat in the metropolis.

The provincial food watchdog, on Sunday, conducted raids at six illegal slaughterhouses operating in the vicinity of Bakra Mandi. According to PFA vigilance cell, the authority officials conducted raids at dawn and sealed these illegal slaughterhouses. They also seized and discarded over 6,500 kilogrammes of unwholesome meat, 1,000 kilogrammes of animal fat and 800 litres of oil extracted from animal waste.

PFA Director General Captain (retd) Muhammad Usman highlighted that six illegal slaughterhouses, slaughtering sick animals, were closed down in Bakra Mandi. He pointed out that these facilities had stored huge quantities of unwholesome meat in rusty and moldy freezers. He added these were being supplied to local butcher shops in different areas of the city by printing fake stamps of legal slaughterhouses.

Usman said meat was a fundamental food group of diet, like milk, egg and other staple grains. The authority had directed its enforcement teams to ensure the sale of safe and healthy meat across the province by taking strict action against illegal slaughtering.

On Friday, PFA officials conducted a province-wide crackdown against adulterated milk and collected milk samples from each district of the province. PFA dairy safety teams set up checkpoints at various entry and exit points of the city. They confiscated and discarded over 5,751 liters of tainted milk being carried on 37 vehicles from different farmhouses, farms and factories.

Throughout the province, the PFA discarded a total of 15,833 liters of adulterated milk, whereas samples for screening tests were taken from over 0.25 million litres. PFA officials disclosed that adulterated milk was being preserved by huge blocks of ice in containers.

The authority also discarded thousands of litres of adulterated milk over proved contamination of harmful chemicals, powder, polluted water, urea, and water which was added for the purpose of thickness and to increase the quantity of milk.

PFA officials also unearthed a cold store in the surrounding areas of Gujranwala and seized over 210,000 rotten eggs. The operation was carried out after six days of careful observations made by the vigilance cell of the PFA.

The authority discarded all seized putrid eggs after bringing them at the dumping site of Lakhodair.  So far, the food regulatory body has dumped over three million rotten eggs after confiscating them from various cities of Punjab, including Lahore, Chichawatni, Sahiwal, and Sheikhupura

Punjab Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhry said that these rotten and decayed eggs were being added to people’s diet through a corrupt channel. He appreciated the authority and underlined the need to devise a comprehensive policy for a permanent ban on the sale of substandard hatchery eggs. According to this policy, no sale and purchase of hatchery eggs will be made in the market.

Chaudhry said that throughout the province, no cold store will be allowed to store rotten eggs. "Our aim is to control this wicked practice and ensure the provision of quality eggs in the market by busting rackets which are involved. If anyone, in their surroundings, sees any kind of malpractice related to adulteration, they must immediately report to the PFA, he advised.