PFA seizes 2300kg contaminated spice in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Food Authority on Friday seized 2300 kg contaminated spices from a number of factory deposits in Rawalpindi's area of Ganj Mandi.

According to a PFA spokesperson, the spices were sold under the brands; Iman, Machli and Mor. He added that sawdust, textile colour, and other contaminating agents were recovered from the site during the raid.

PFA Director North Bilal Abro maintained that all tests conducted on the recovered substances were proven positive. In another raid at Naswari Bazaar, the authorities sealed a jam warehouse as dead rats were found at the production site.

The jam ingredients were being supplied to a number of food production companies. As many as 3000kg jam ingredients were also immediately seized by the authority.

Earlier, the PFA announced to place a complete ban on the production and sale of banaspati ghee by 2020. The decision to place a ban came after a meeting held by the PFA’s scientific committee.

According to experts, a large amount of trans-fatty acid and nickel are used in the industrial scale preparation of banaspati ghee.

According to PFA Director General Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, the amount of oil and ghee that a Pakistani uses annually is 18kg, whereas, a European only uses a fraction of the said amount — three per cent.