Police arrest woman, son in Lahore for selling dead chickens, 970 kg of meat destroyed

A woman and her son were arrested in Lahore for selling dead and underweight chickens, as authorities disposed of 970 kg of unsafe poultry meat.

The crackdown was ordered by the Director General of the Punjab Food Authority at Tollinton Market.

Early morning inspections saw 44,000 kg of meat and poultry being checked.

Dead chickens were found in a warehouse, leading to the registration of a case.

The Punjab Food Authority's Meat Safety team, during their daily inspection, found a shop where the dead poultry was being secretly prepared for sale.

Despite strong resistance from the woman, the operation was completed under police supervision, and the harmful meat was destroyed.

The inspection revealed poor hygiene conditions at the meat shop. The unsafe chicken was intended for supply to various food points and catering centers.

The use of such meat can lead to severe diseases.

DG Food Authority Asim Javed urged citizens to buy fresh chicken slaughtered in front of them and to report any concerns to the helpline at 1223.

Earlier in March, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) tightened the noose around the suppliers of dead and emaciated chickens in Lahore by placing screening pickets at the entry points of the provincial metropolis.

To monitor the ongoing crackdown against vendors selling unhealthy chicken, PFA Director General Muhammad Asim Javaid conducted a visit to meat shops in Tollinton Market.

He said that PFA imposed hefty fines on two meat shops, served warning notices on 12 food business operators (FBOs) and issued improvement notices to two others.

Moreover, the authority discarded 61kg of stale meat and 400kg of dead chickens during the operation.

The meat safety teams will thoroughly inspect the vehicles transporting chicken flocks to local poultry shops in Lahore to meet the daily consumption.

He said that the decision was taken to control the sale and purchase of sick, emaciated and dead chickens’ meat by following the directions of the Punjab Chief Minister.

The DG said that the authority took action against FBOs after recovering hundreds of kilograms dead chickens from chicken-carrying vehicles.

Furthermore, the butchers had stored expired and malodorous meat in the freezers at meat shops, but the PFA took action by discarding all unhygienic meat in accordance with the Punjab Pure Food Regulations.