PFA launches crackdown against sweets production units

Lahore : Rolling up the sleeves and pulling up socks against confectionaries, Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has sealed 60 sweets shops and stopped production of 13 units by serving emergency prohibition orders during a week throughout the Province.

This was informed by PFA Additional Director General (Operations) Rafia Haider on Tuesday during briefed media about the activities of PFA food safety teams. She told that PFA has visited 1202 sweets points and imposed heavy fine tickets on 221 units for not compliance PFA’s instructions and failed to maintain the hygienic working environment from Feb 28 to March 5.

Moreover, PFA’s watchdogs confiscated 1600kg substandard sweets, 410kg substandard non-food grade colour and 670kg artificial sugar (sweetness-mathas). Breakdown the statistics, food safety officers have raided on 449 confectionary units in Lahore division, 515 units in Rawalpindi division and remaining 238 sweet production units checked in South Punjab. PFA’s watchdogs have also served warning and improvement notices to 908 confectionaries during operation. She said that action was taken over using non-food grade colour, textile colour and poor quality ingredients in the preparing of sweets.

She further said that as per vision of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif to make Healthy Punjab, PFA is doing work day and night in order to achieve all milestones under the supervision of PFA DG Noor ul Amin Mengal. PFA will deal the violators with an iron hand and our teams are fully active in order to ensure availability of quality products. she mentioned