The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has sealed a factory producing fake carbonated drinks of different popular brands and discarded 2,026 litres ready spurious drinks during a raid in Korol Pind here on Sunday.
Acting on the tipoff, the food safety team under the supervision of its Director General Irfan Memon conducted a raid and caught them red-handed. He said that PFA sealed a factory by rooting out 10,000 fake bottle lids, 620 empty bottles, six gas cylinders, filling machine, mixing machine, chemicals, loose colours and a huge quantity of fake labels.
During the raid, PFA also disposed of 5,000 litres fake drinks base, 870 litres Coca Cola, 652 litres 7 Up, 285 litres Dew, 130 litres Mirinda and 89 litres Sprite. Meanwhile, PFA has registered a case against the accused on account of adulteration and forgery in the respective police station.
The director general said that fake drinks were being manufactured by using artificial sweeteners, saccharine, chemicals, loose colours and contaminated tab water. Besides, the authority took action against them over also witnessed the use of non-food grade drums, stagnant water in the premises and worst condition of hygiene, as well as, administration of the factory was also failed to produce medical certificates.
Irfan Memon further said that fake bottles were supplied to local shops in the area of Lahore and its surroundings. He stated that the use of spurious drinks which prepared without formula lead to stomach ulcer, cancer and other diseases. He said that the Punjab Food Authority is doing work day and night under the zero-tolerance policy against food adulterators and counterfeiters in Punjab. He added that PFA is fully committed to make Punjab adulteration-free food region as per the vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan.