PFA hints action against false food labelling

Teams seize huge quantity of prepared stock, serve notices illegal units

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has decided to expose mafia involved in the crime of misleading and false food labelling on products. In this connection, a special campaign would be launched across Punjab.

The decision was taken during a meeting regarding food labelling fraud at PFA Headquarters on Tuesday.

PFA Director General Irfan Memon has directed officials to constitute special teams for tackling this issue and ensure the presence of food in the market as per the PFA Act.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) sealed illegal bottled drinking water unit here in the provincial capital.

A spokesman for the PSQCA, on directions of Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, the special team led by Deputy Director Khurram Mateen conducted a raid on PIA Road and found the illegal and un-licensed unit. The team seized a huge quantity of prepared stock on the spot and restricted for producing the stock. The teams also served notices to several illegal units.

Deputy Director Khurram Mateen said no leniency would be given to any illegal unit and action against unlicensed units would continue. He said the PSQCA teams would always ready to guide the business community for promoting quality culture in the country.

He said the purpose of this campaign was to protect consumers from false, misleading functional and healthy claims made on these products labelling, marketed across Punjab.

He said these teams would ensure the presence of ingredients in the products which would be mentioned on the product labelling. He mentioned that claiming fruit by adding fragrance or flavour in the product is a crime. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2019.