The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority (KPFS&HFA) has carried out a series of successful operations in Peshawar and Swabi as part of its ongoing mission to ensure the provision of safe and quality food to the public. During the raids, a significant quantity of counterfeit and substandard food items, including spices and soft drinks, was seized, while one production unit was sealed and heavy fines were imposed.
According to the spokesperson of the Food Authority, the operations were conducted in the early hours on Yar Hussain Road in Swabi, where the food safety team set up a checkpoint to inspect vehicles transporting food items. During the inspection, approximately 1,000 litres of fake soft drinks were recovered from a vehicle and confiscated on the spot. The responsible individuals were fined under the Food Safety Act.
In a separate operation, the Peshawar food safety team raided a home-based spice manufacturing unit in the Haji Camp area of Peshawar. The unit was found producing spices using hazardous ingredients such as used oil, wheat husk, and textile dyes. The team confiscated 1,000 kg of husk, 2 kg of artificial colorants, and 100 litres of used oil, which were immediately discarded. The unit was sealed, and legal action has been initiated against its owners.
The spokesperson further informed that a joint inspections were also carried out at various production units on Charsadda Road and Dalazak Road. One spice manufacturing and one macaroni production unit were fined for poor hygiene and sanitation practices. Another spice unit was found in possession of 4,000 packs of counterfeit biryani masala and 200 litres of foul-smelling used oil. The items were seized, and legal proceedings were launched against the violators.
KPFS &HFA Director General Wasif Saeed lauded the food safety teams for their effective actions and reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against food adulteration and substandard products. He urged the public to report any suspected cases of food adulteration or unsafe practices to the Authority to help ensure public health and safety.
On this occasion, KP Minister for Food, Zahir Shah Toru, reiterated that strict legal action would be taken against all businesses involved in the production or sale of substandard and hazardous food products. “There will be no leniency in such cases,” he asserted.
