LAHORE: Punjab Food Authority on Saturday raided production units of sweets and bakeries and sealed several units in violation of Standard Operating Procedures ahead of Eid ul Fitr.
Eid ul Fitr is also called the 'Festival of Sweets' as mithai (sweets), barfi and balu shahi widely exchanged on Eid Day as gifts. Lahore has been a hub of sweets manufacturing production unit and famous for its tasty mithai all over the world. Few production units of famous brands are involved in using sub standard items in sweets manufacturing.
PFA yesterday raided Bundu Khan Sweets production unit and sealed it over using the expired items in sweets manufacturing items. PFA Director Operations Rafia Haider said said PFA confiscated four mound khoya from the production unit and disposed off on the spot that was about to us in sweets manufacturing. The Bundu Khan Production unit was sealed until further notice.
Cakes and Bakes Bakery was fined Rs500,000, Shezan Bakery Rs 200,000, and Butt Sweets Rs100,000.
On other hands, Hafiz Sweets and Royal Sweets were imposed fine Rs50,000.
On other hands, Sheikhupura’s Al Madinah , Darbar-e-Shereen, Imran Baikers were sealed. In Faisalabad alone Ideal Bakers, Ali ManoSalwa, Al-Jannat, Amira and Faisal Sweets were imposed fined. In Gujranwala Shahid Sweets was sealed and Rs 300,000 were imposed on its three sweets production units.
PFA also checked several sweets and bakeries shops as well as eateries to ensure the quality service and food being provided to customers including in Shezan production unit in Gulberg, Royal Bakers and Sweets in Sabzazar, Butt Sweets and Bakers at Lakshmi Chowk, Fresh Inn Bakers at Allahhu Chowk, Malmo Bakers at Bhopatiyan Chowk, Butt Sweets and Baers in Johar Chowk, Bhasarat Bakery in Nishtar Town, Chrish Bakery, Makki Foods, Sufi Sweets and Bakers at Baigham Kot Shahidra Road, New Kashmir Bakers in Samanabad, Rahat Bakers in Harbans Pura.
These sweets and bakeries shops were raided on using injurious to health chemical colours , no record of milk and khoya, no labeling of expiry dates on items, rotten eggs being used in cake manufacturing, stinky deep freezers, flies on mithai items.
There is precedent of not allocating wash room area for the employee’s enrolled in production unit and PFA gave a warning list to these production units earlier.