The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) launched a major crackdown against well-known food chains including KFC and Hardee’s, operating at the Sukheki Interchange on the M-2 Motorway, inspecting five outlets.
Four of the outlets were sealed, while fines totaling Rs35 million were imposed. During the operation, more than one maund (approximately 40 kilograms) of substandard and prohibited food items was destroyed.
The large-scale inspection was carried out at the Sukheki Interchange in Hafizabad under the supervision of Punjab Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Food Safety, Salma Butt, and Punjab Food Authority Director General Raja Mansoor Ahmed.
According to the PFA, four outlets belonging to national food chains were sealed due to poor hygiene and operational standards, and cumulative fines of Rs35 million were imposed.
During the inspections, officials disposed of more than one maund of substandard, poor-quality, and prohibited food ingredients.
View this post on Instagram
Salma Butt said inspectors found freezers and washing areas at several outlets to be extremely dirty, with foul-smelling stagnant water and highly inadequate sanitation arrangements.
She added that essential supply records, return records, and other mandatory legal documents were unavailable. Inspectors also found heavy insect infestations at several locations, while food items were being stored directly on the floor.
According to her, bakery products lacked manufacturing and expiry dates, and open drains along with foul-smelling conditions were found at the premises, all of which violated prescribed food safety standards.
Salma Butt said Punjab Food Authority teams are continuing their province-wide campaign to eliminate food adulteration and fraud, with strict monitoring in place from food production to distribution.
She said that, on the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the authority will continue enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against food adulteration and fraudulent practices, and will not allow substandard or expired food products to reach the market under any circumstances.
