Illegal juice factory sealed, owner detained

The business neither had licence, nor followed health and hygiene regulations

HYDERABAD:

In a rare raid at a spurious juice factory, operating in a residential unit in Hyderabad, the Sindh Food Authority (SFA) on Saturday arrested three suspects and seized large quantities of juices, raw materials and utensils.

SFA Deputy Director Fida Hussain Khoso told The Express Tribune that the mini-factory, located in a house in Samanabad area of Qasimabad, had been supplying its products to the marts, general stores and bakeries in the city.

"Neither the factory had obtained the business licence nor it was following the health and hygiene regulations," he added.

Khoso informed that unlawful business' owner Yaseen Shaikh and his two labourers Islahuddin and Arbab have been arrested in the raid.

He said that the SFA is also going to lodge an FIR against them at Bhitai Nagar police station.

The section 19 of the SFA Act, 2016, states that "No person shall use any place for food business except under the prescribed registration and possessing of a valid licence." The section 26 of the Act penalises with six-month imprisonment and up to Rs1 million fine on a person selling adulterated food or food which is not in compliance with the provisions of the Act.

The Act intensifies the punishment under section 28 up to three years, if the unsafe food being manufactured and sold, is hazardous to the health.

Khoso said that the raid was conducted after a considerable number of complaints were received against the unregistered factory.

Khoso claimed that the authority is consistently taking action against the people preparing and selling adulterated food. At the same time the traders are being encouraged to get their businesses registered and obtain licence.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2024.