LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Tuesday served notice on Sting energy drink for not broadcasting their revised advertisement on television.

The PFA had directed energy drink companies to make necessary changes to their advertisements as per the authority’s standards. The notice was served after hearing of a case at PFA headquarters concerning Sting energy drink’s TV commercial.

PFA Director General retired Capt Muhammad Usman said that the company presented a picture of the drink in its commercial that was contrary to the ground reality. The authority had already banned the sale of energy drinks across the province, so it was strictly prohibited to run advertisements promoting them.

He further said that the use of term “energy drink” for caffeinated drinks was banned, and directed the manufacturers to use “stimulant” instead of “energy”. He further said that action against incorrect labels and misleading advertisements was continuing in Punjab.

It is mandatory for all food manufacturers/marketers to seek approval from the Punjab Food Authority on the contents of promotional TV commercials prior to their broadcast in order to avoid mislabelling, deception and misbranding.

The authority will remove the stock and take strict action in case of non-compliance with the instructions. The PFA will provide an opportunity to the company to present its point of view in the next hearing regarding compliance with the authority’s order.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2018