RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) on Wednesday issued show-cause notices to at least 41 schools for selling soft and energy drinks.

Earlier, the authority had issued instructions to all beverage manufacturing companies for not supplying cold drinks to any educational institution. It had also barred beverage manufacturers from supplying all kinds of soft and energy drinks to shopkeepers, canteens and drink corners in the radius of 100 meters of the educational institutions.

A PFA special team conducted raids at various schools to check the implementation of the ban. After checking around 131 schools, the authority issued show-cause notices to around 41 schools for violating the ban which was imposed to ward off adverse effects of junk food on children.

PFA Director General Noor-ul-Amin Mengal told media that the issuance of show-cause notices to schools was the first phase of their crackdown against the adulterated mafias. In the second phase, he said, the authority would be ‘sealing’ shops of the said violators besides initiating crackdown against the suppliers.