Balochistan Food Authority Seals Bakery Unit, Fines 11 Food Outlets Across Five Districts
Independent report
QUETTA: The Balochistan Food Authority (BFA) has intensified its province-wide food safety inspections, sealing a baking unit over serious hygiene violations, imposing fines on 11 food outlets and issuing corrective notices to 10 others in Quetta, Zhob, Kharan, Khuzdar and Sohbatpur.
According to the BFA spokesperson, a baking unit on Mekangi Road in Quetta was sealed following a public complaint. Inspection teams found extremely poor sanitation, improper storage arrangements, missing manufacturing and expiry dates on products, and inadequate measures to prevent insects and pests.
Fines were also imposed on pizza outlets, bakeries and baking units along Samungli and Spini roads for violations including poor hygiene, failure to maintain workers’ personal cleanliness, rusty refrigerators, uncovered waste bins, use of potentially harmful open cooking oil and improper food preparation and storage practices.
In Zhob, food safety teams conducted special inspections of milk shops in New Abadi and Jail Road. On-site testing of samples collected from 30 milk shops detected water adulteration at one outlet, which was fined. Another shop was penalised for selling expired juices and soft drinks and maintaining poor hygiene. Licence application forms were also distributed among food business operators, who were directed to fulfil legal requirements.
In Sohbatpur, action was taken against bakeries, confectionery wholesalers and grocery stores operating without food business licences. Fines were imposed for keeping expired chips, biscuits and snacks, inadequate protection of sweets against flies, poor personal hygiene among workers, and failure to display manufacturing and expiry dates on products.
The BFA spokesperson said no compromise would be made on food quality, hygiene standards, prevention of adulteration, sale of expired products or compliance with food business licensing requirements.
The authority said inspections would continue across the province, with prompt action on public complaints and legal proceedings against those found violating food safety regulations.
