The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety & Halal Food Authority (KPFS&HFA) has spurred province-wide operations under its Ramazan enforcement plan, conducting major crackdowns in Peshawar, Abbottabad, Swat and Malakand against the sale and production of fake, substandard and unsafe food items.
According to a spokesperson for the authority, food safety teams seized and destroyed thousands of litres of counterfeit beverages, adulterated milk and hundreds of kilograms of substandard meat during multiple operations, while imposing heavy fines on several businesses for violations of food safety laws.
In Peshawar, a food safety team carried out an early morning raid after Sehri at the Old Vegetable Market near Bacha Khan Chowk. During the inspection, inspection team recovered various brands of fake and substandard beverages. Laboratory checks revealed that the Brix level of the drinks was below the prescribed standard. The counterfeit beverages were reportedly being prepared in houses and supplied to the market. Around 1,000 litres of fake drinks were confiscated from three shopkeepers and heavy fines were imposed.
In a separate action in Nothia Bazaar, food safety team conducted a surprise inspection of a minced meat processing unit, where substandard and unhygienic mince was being prepared. Approximately 250 kilograms of inferior mince was seized and destroyed on the spot. The owner was fined and served with an improvement notice for violating food safety regulations.
In Abbottabad, joint operations by the food safety team and the district administration resulted in a raid on a milk shop following a tip-off. More than 800 litres of adulterated milk were recovered and discarded on the spot. During inspection, a warehouse storing substandard and mislabelled margarine was sealed and 1,500 kilograms of margarine were taken into official custody. Several pakora shops and Iftar stalls were also inspected, and unhealthy and used cooking oil was disposed of at the site.
In Swat, the food safety team, in coordination with the district administration, conducted an operation in Tehsil Matta, seizing over 350 litres of expired beverages and 50 kilograms of substandard mince. The confiscated items were taken into custody and further legal proceedings were initiated.
Meanwhile, in Malakand, late-night checking was carried out at the Swat Motorway where vehicles transporting food items were inspected. Water adulteration was detected in milk tankers, leading to the destruction of 800 litres of adulterated milk and imposition of fines. In another action, 200 kilograms of substandard mince and 100 kilograms of substandard seekh kebabs were recovered from a vehicle and destroyed.
Director General KP Food Safety Authority Kashif Iqbal Jilani lauded the performance of the food safety teams and reiterated that there would be no compromise on public health. He warned that strict legal action would continue against those involved in adulteration and the sale of unsafe food items.
