LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Wednesday declared 61 ghee and cooking oil brands unfit for consumption and confiscated 47,233 litres of ghee and cooking oil from the market.

The provincial food regulatory body has released the results of sample collection of edible ghee and cooking oil.

PFA Director General Muhammad Usman said the purpose of sample collection drive was to confirm the availability of requisite micronutrients in it and check the quality and standards. He said 61 brands of oil and ghee had failed whereas 118 others were found up to the mark.

He said the authority would not compromise on the quality of food items and no one would be allowed to sell the unfit products.

However, the analysis of 88 brands is in process and it will be completed soon.

The PFA food safety teams removed 29,099 litres from Lahore Zone, 15,661 from Rawalpindi Zone and 2,473 from South Zone so far. The teams had collected 267 samples of cooking oil and ghee for laboratory test from open market in the presence of company’s representatives by following blind-sampling method throughout the province.

The ghee and cooking oil which failed to meet safety and quality parameters included Abid Koh-e-Noor Banaspati, Ambar Banaspati, Apna Banaspati, Apna Canola Oil, Areej Premium Banaspati, Atif Banaspati, Attiya Banaspati, Badar Cooking Oil, Behtreen Banaspati, Crispo Vegetable Oil, Dawat Cooking Oil, Enam Cooking Oil, Faizi Banaspati, Gai Canola Cooking Oil, Gai Cooking Oil, Gai Sunflower Cooking Oil, Ghousia Banaspati, Ghousia Canola Oil, Gold Rehmat Banaspati, Hoor Canola Oil, Hoor Cooking Oil, Hoor Sunflower Oil, Ittehad Cooking Oil, Kamiyab Cooking Oil, Kamran Banaspati, Karwan Banaspati, Kausar Canola Oil, Kausar Cooking Oil, Khajoor Cooking Oil, Kisan Cooking Oil (Sunflower), Lives Cooking Oil, Mamta Banaspati, Mujahid Cooking Oil, Naimat Canola Oil, Naturelle Cooking Oil, Nice Banaspati, Nirala Banaspati, Olio Premium Canola Oil, Olio Premium Sunflower Oil, Qarni Banaspati, Rahat Banaspati Ghee, Seasons Frying Oil, Sitara Cooking Oil, Soya Supreme Banaspati, Sultan Sunflower Oil, Zareen Banaspati, Chand Banaspati, Ella Cooking Oil, Evolin Vegetable Banaspati, Evolin Vegetable Cooking Oil, Fauji Cooking Oil, Golden Sun Banaspati, Golden Sun Cooking Oil, Ittehad Banaspati, Khajur Banaspati, Lives Banaspati, Madni Cooking Oil, Shamim Banaspati, Sultan Canola Oil, Sultan Cooking Oil and Zaiqa Cooking Oil.

In another operation, the food safety teams sealed five production units of Gourmet Foods in Faisalabad, Sialkot and Multan city over failure to meet the standards of the Punjab Pure Food Regulations.

The authority teams sealed beverages section of Gourmet Five Stars for failing to provide halal certificate. The teams also discovered stinky environment, improper cleanliness arrangements and rusty filters of syrup room tanks.

Gourmet Hajveri Foods in Sialkot was shut down over non-compliance of the authority instructions, preserving food on foot level, improper freezer storage and storing raw and cooked meat together in the cold storage.

The teams also raided ANC Foods Gourmet in Multan and sealed it on account of improper labeling and use of naswar.

The PFA also sealed kitchen section of Gourmet Foods in Lahore at Bhobhattiyan Chowk for violating the PFA Act.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2018