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FAISALABAD, Mar 29 (APP):The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has intensified its efforts to ensure safe food items for the travellers on Eid-ul-Fitr 2025.
A PFA spokesman said here on Saturday that acting on the directives of Director General (DG) Punjab Food Authority, food safety teams are active in the field for inspection at bus terminals and railway stations and checking food points to uphold hygiene standards of edible items.
He said that the food safety teams examined 234 restaurants, tuck shops and canteens and imposed a total fine of Rs.570,000 on charge of violations. The food safety teams also confiscated 80 kilograms (kg) substandard cooking oil and more than 120 kg expired and banned food items which were later on discarded.
The PFA officers also issued warning notices to the owners of 114 food points and directed them for improvement and necessary corrective measures, he added.
The spokesman further said that heavy penalties are being imposed over poor hygiene, non-compliance with food safety regulations and lack of medical certificates for the employees of food outlets.
He said that some food outlets were using prohibited ingredients in addition to re-use of cooking oil for frying edible items and this practice is posing severe health risks. The inspections also revealed unsanitary freezers and pest infestations in the kitchen areas of various bakeries, restaurants and other food points, he added.
He further said that that sale of unapproved food products is strictly prohibited. He said that all food items which were displayed at the food outlets for selling purposes must be registered with Punjab Food Authority. Otherwise, the business could be shut down immediately if any sale of expired or substandard food products was found, he added.
He said that the PFA is committed to continuing uninterrupted operations to protect the travelers from unsafe food consumption on Eid. The public should also be cautious as consumption of poor-quality food during travel could pose serious health hazards, he added.