RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) launching a crackdown against substandard cooking oil and ghee manufacturers has started lifting all those brands, who failed the tests conducted last week, from the market.

According to information released by the Authority here on Wednesday, it has lifted 2400 kilograms of ghee from Lahore, 920 kilograms from Gujranwala, 1300 kilograms from Faisalabad, 830 kilograms from Multan and 1630 kilograms from Rawalpindi. In total, the authority has lifted 7080 kilograms of substandard cooking oil and ghee from the market.

The authority has asked the manufacturers of those brands which failed its tests to take back their stock from the market. The crackdown started after these brands failed to comply with the warning of the authority. Any such brand present in Ramzaan bazaar will also be removed, said the statement by the Authority.

DG Food Authority Noor ul Amin Mengal said that out of total 151 companies samples of 45 companies failed to pass the test of the authority. The authority had imposed a fine of Rs one million each on these companies, given time of one month to improve their quality and also taking back all their stocks from the market.

DG Food Authority said that further fines would be imposed on these companies besides other punishment if they failed to take all their stock back from the market in next 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the field teams of the authority also continued their crackdown against those food outlets selling adulterated or fake food items.