LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) teams on Monday carried out a grand operation against adulteration mafia and toxic vegetables that were cultivated with industrial waste and sewerage water across the province.

During the operation, PFA sealed nine food points and penalised numerous food business operators with hefty fines besides serving warning notices for improvement on 11 eateries.

PFA Director General Irfan Memon said a godown of pickle was sealed in Sargodha after confiscating 3,300kg substandard stuff. He said the team sealed Yousaf Food Storage in Sikka Colony for doing business without a food licence, storing poor quality pickle and unhygienic conditions.

He said the PFA Gujranwala team raided Umair Smart Shop and sealed it for selling expired food items and loose spices, the presence of cobwebs, an abundance of insects and poor cleanliness arrangements.

A team of PFA sealed Ramzan salt unit due to selling salt without a label and unhygienic conditions. The raiding team confiscated 1,250kg adulterated spices, 100kg salt, 10kg loose turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

Similarly, in Sialkot, it closed down Sardar Begum Hospital’s canteen for selling expired food items.

In another raid, he said, the PFA watchdog team sealed Shabbir Awan Khoya unit in Mandi Bahauddin over proved contamination of Banaspati ghee, uncovered khoya and for failing to meet hygienic working environment. Apart from that, workers of the unit did not have medical certificates.

In the south region, the food safety teams sealed three factories and imposed Rs50,000 cumulative fine owing to violating the provincial food law.

Irfan Memon said PFA shut down Rehan Food Products for preserving oil in non-food graded drums, using untraceable colours and poor cleanliness arrangements.

Ghosia Foods was sealed for using substandard ingredients, presence of rats and not taking measures to control pests.

An enforcement team of PFA also closed down Madina Crispo Kacha Pappar factory over the presence of cats in the production area, proved contamination of hazardous chemicals in snacks, failure to produce medical certificates and non-compliance of authority instructions.

The director general said the use of expired and unwholesome food is injurious to health that causes typhoid, food poising, diarrhoea and other diseases.

He said the PFA has discarded a huge quantity of unwholesome food including expired beverages. He has requested people to check the expiry date on food items before buying.

A team has raided Khana Badosh Tea Stall in Rawalpindi and sealed it over the abundance of insects in the production area, poor cleanliness arrangements and non-compliance of instructions.

On the other hand, the enforcement team has discarded unhealthy cauliflower and spinach crops by ploughing on 96 kanal land in Millat Park. He said the use of waste water to irrigate crops causes health diseases after adding its toxic materials in the ready crops.

He further said only alternative/non-edible crops can be cultivated with sewerage and industrial waste water like bamboos, jute, indoor plants and flowers.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2020