LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has carried out large-scale inspections across the province, checking 1,363,198 food units to date as part of its ongoing food safety enforcement drive.
According to Director General Muhammad Asim Javaid, the inspections have resulted in the closure of 4,390 food establishments found violating regulations, alongside 2,624 FIRs registered against individuals involved in the adulteration of milk, meat and other food products.
Alongside enforcement, the authority reported training 559,593 food handlers to strengthen compliance with hygiene and safety standards across the food chain.
Officials said the regulatory push is being complemented by structural reforms aimed at modernising key sectors, including dairy, edible oil and ghee, and water industries. A joint committee with the livestock department has been formed to improve milk production and quality standards.
Work is also underway to align food regulations with international benchmarks, particularly in dairy quality assurance and halal certification frameworks, as authorities look to expand export potential in meat and related products.
The DG said planning is in progress to develop cold chain systems, introduce milk chillers, and expand modern packaging infrastructure to reduce spoilage and improve supply efficiency.
He added that efforts are being made to increase meat production through breed improvement programmes and promotion of high-quality livestock, while science-based regulatory systems are being introduced to enhance food safety, traceability and quality control.
The authority also confirmed that state-of-the-art food testing laboratories are being established at divisional headquarters across Punjab to strengthen monitoring and enforcement capacity.
PFA officials said ensuring the supply of safe and hygienic food remains a core priority under the provincial leadership, with ongoing initiatives aimed at long-term structural improvement of the food safety ecosystem rather than short-term enforcement actions.
