PESHAWAR — The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority (KPFS&HFA) seized and destroyed more than 5,600 kilograms and liters of unsafe bakery items, cooking oil and ghee during a province-wide inspection campaign targeting food safety violations.
According to the authority, the KP Food Authority bakery inspection drive covered 232 bakery units across multiple districts, resulting in confiscation of 5,641 kilograms/liters of substandard and hazardous food products. Authorities also imposed fines totaling about Rs1.7 million and issued dozens of improvement notices to businesses for hygiene violations.
Officials said the one-day operation was carried out simultaneously across the province to check food quality standards and ensure compliance with safety regulations.
Inspections and enforcement actions
Food safety teams issued 52 improvement notices to bakery operators found violating hygiene and food safety rules.
In Peshawar, inspection teams visited several sweets and bakery outlets under the supervision of Director General KP Food Authority Kashif Iqbal Jilani. During the operation, authorities recovered and destroyed 200 liters of unsafe cooking oil and 300 kilograms of expired rusks and sweets. One bakery unit in the city was sealed.
Read: KP Food Authority discards 1,590 litres of substandard cooking oil in province-wide drive
In Nowshera Industrial Estate, officials seized 2,200 kilograms of expired and mislabeled bakery items from a production facility. The unit was subsequently sealed for violations.
Operations across districts
Food safety teams also conducted inspections in Swat, where 115 kilograms of substandard bakery products were recovered from a bakery unit. The items were destroyed on the spot, while fines and improvement notices were issued to the management.
Similar inspections were carried out in several other districts, including Dera Ismail Khan, Mardan, Abbottabad, Malakand, Charsadda, Buner, Mansehra, Swabi, Bannu, Lower Dir and Lower Chitral. Authorities reported confiscating and destroying additional quantities of unsafe bakery items during the operations.
In a separate action, the Malakand food safety team intercepted a milk tanker at a checkpoint on the Swat Motorway carrying 700 liters of adulterated milk. The milk was discarded on the spot and a fine was imposed on the operator.
Authority vows strict enforcement
Speaking about the operation, KP Food Authority Director General Kashif Iqbal Jilani said eliminating food adulteration and unsafe food businesses remains a key priority for the authority.
He said strict action would continue against those involved in food adulteration, warning that such practices pose serious risks to public health.
Today's E-Paper