PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority discarded over 50,000 litres of counterfeit cold drinks in two different crackdowns here early on Thursday.

The crackdowns were carried out at night-time at Acheni area of Peshawar and in Nowshera.

According to a statement, over 14 food and cold drinks production units were sealed in various crackdowns during the current month.

Hotel sealed in Swat; raids to check food quality, prices continue

It was stated that the night squad of the authority raided a cottage industry in Acheni where fake cold drinks were seized inside a production unit. Both production units were sealed and machinery was taken into custody.

“Nobody has the right to play with public health. Copying the national and international brands earn a bad name for the province and discourage food sector investors,” said the authority’s DG Riaz Mahsud.

Khalid Khan Khattak, director operations, said that information regarding fake cold drinks was shared on emergency response unit and they seized over 30,000 litres of fake drinks of various brands.

He claimed that over 20,000 litres of counterfeit drinks were also discarded from containers as production was continuing at the time of raid.

MINGORA: the Swat district administration on Thursday sealed one hotel and fined two others for serving substandard and unhygienic foodstuffs to the hotel inmates.

The administration imposed fines on five other hotels for violating rules and regulations and not observing cleanliness standards.

In this regard, directives were issued to all the assistant commissioners of seven tehsils, by the deputy commissioner, to visit different hotels and food serving outlets at Sehr and Iftar to check quality of commodities and hygiene there.

SHANGLA: Officials of the food authority and district administration conducted raids on milk shops at Puran tehsil to test the milk quality for the first time in the district.

Puran assistant commissioner Mohammad Jawad told mediapersons here on Thursday that he along with the food authority team and mobile lab officials visited different shops of milk sellers in Aloch bazaar of Puran tehsil to check quality of milk being sold in the bazaar.

On this occasion, the food authority team arranged an orientation session for owners of dairy shops in which necessary instructions, mainly about preservation of milk, were given to them.

HARIPUR: Officials of the district administration continued visiting different markets and imposed fines and sealed shops for overcharging by the shopkeepers.

According to a progress report, the magistrates had imposed fine of Rs515,700 and sealed four shops for selling edible items at higher rates during the first 10 days of Ramazan.

In addition, 55 shopkeepers were issued warning and over 100 samples of fresh milk were collected. Those found guilty of selling adulterated milk were fined.

MANSEHRA: The district administration and food department in a joint raid arrested three people and sealed a house where fake desi ghee was prepared from the remains of animals and chemicals.

The team led by assistant commissioner, Mansehra, and including assistant food controller Shaukat Sultan raided a house at Shah Nawaz Chowk and seized a big quantity of desi ghee. The team also arrested three suspects and sealed the house.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2019