Large quantities of fake beverages, hazardous mince, expired chemicals and substandard food seized; thousands of litres discarded, units sealed, heavy fines imposed
Peshawar
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety & Halal Food Authority (KPFS&HFA) has carried out a province-wide crackdown against substandard and hazardous food businesses, taking multiple enforcement actions during the past week.
According to the spokesperson, food safety teams conducted operations across various districts, seizing large quantities of fake, expired and unsafe food items, which were subsequently discarded. Several production units were sealed, while hefty fines were imposed on violators.
Detailing the operations, the spokesperson said that on a tip-off, joint teams from Peshawar and Nowshera carried out a raid in the Pabbi area of Nowshera, recovering 2,100 litres of fake carbonated drinks, while 3,000 litres were discarded on the spot. A juice factory was also fined for violating hygiene standards.
In Mohmand district, the Peshawar food safety team inspected ghee mills and confiscated 560 litres of expired chemicals, which were destroyed, and fines were imposed. Similarly, in Mardan, inspections of a spice unit and meat shops led to the recovery of 300 kilograms of substandard spices. The unit was sealed and legal proceedings were initiated. Additionally, 50 kilograms of spoiled meat were seized and discarded from a meat shop.
In Nowshera’s Risalpur Industrial Estate, 1,760 litres of expired fruit pulp were discarded. In Haripur, food safety teams, in coordination with the district administration, tested milk samples through a mobile laboratory, resulting in the disposal of 300 litres of unsafe milk and imposition of fines.
The spokesperson further stated that in Dera Ismail Khan, 10,000 litres of substandard beverages were recovered and discarded during a warehouse raid. In Kohat, joint operations by Kohat and Bannu teams led to the seizure of 2,550 litres of fake and hazardous drinks.
In Swat, a raid on a minced meat shop resulted in the recovery and disposal of 2,300 kilograms of unsafe mince, exposing a major network. In Malakand, acting on intelligence, a ghee production unit was raided, where mislabelled ghee was recovered. Around 200 litres of substandard and expired ghee were confiscated, and the unit was sealed.
The spokesperson added that heavy fines were imposed on business owners for violations of hygiene standards across different districts, and further legal actions have been initiated.
Director General KP Food Authority, Kashif Iqbal Jilani, lauded the performance of food safety teams and reiterated that operations would continue without interruption to ensure the provision of safe and quality food to the public. He warned that no leniency would be shown to those endangering public health.
