KPFSA seizes stock of noodles containing banned salt

Factories making copies of famous soft drink brands sealed, over 0.15m litres of counterfeit cola discarded

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halaal Food Authority (KPFSA) on Tuesday sealed a food company’s distribution outlet over noncompliance with food safety standards.

The brand was selling noodles having monosodium glutamate (MSG) popularly known as Chinese salt. Banned across Pakistan, the manufacturer had diverted its supply of MSG-containing noodles to K-P.

However, the KPFSA got information of banned noodles, raided the warehouses and seized the snack food meant for children.

KPFSA Director Operations Khalid Khan Khattak giving details said that food authority teams got information that noodles contain china salt, which has been banned by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Khattak said he deputed Food Safety Officers Ahmad Ali Shah and Adeel Ahmad who investigated the matter and confirmed existence of MSG in the noodles.

Subsequently, KPFSA team with the help of local administration and police backup, raided and sealed the warehouse where MSG-containing noodles were stocked.

“The KPFSA picked up all 3,000 packets and sealed the premises till compliance,” Khattak said.

KPFSA DG Riaz Mehsud said they have launched a crackdown against manufacturers and distributors of harmful and counterfeit food products.

KPFSA has sealed more than 15 soft drink production units in seven districts of the province in the last 15 days and discarded more than 150,000 litres of cola drinks packed in bottles having counterfeit labels of world-famous brands.

Meanwhile, KPFSA Kohat Deputy Director Kamran Yosafzai said that team led by Assistant Director Rukhsar Ali has sealed five counterfeit cold drink production units. He said that more than 15,000 litres of fake cold drink was discarded, production unit sealed and owners handed over to police for necessary action.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2019.