PFA Seals Fake Honey Unit, Registers FIR in Lahore

By Muhammad Shahzad
Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has sealed a fake honey manufacturing unit operating illegally in a residential area of Badami Bagh and registered a First Information Report (FIR) against those involved, officials said on Tuesday.

The action was carried out by a PFA enforcement team on the directives of Director General PFA Muhammad Asim Javaid. During the raid, officials discarded more than two maunds of counterfeit honey and seized large quantities of adulterants, including rose petals, fennel seeds, sugar, glucose syrup, open food colours, and harmful chemicals. Authorities also confiscated around 150 bottles used for packaging the fake product.

The Director General said the unit was producing counterfeit honey using substandard and hazardous ingredients to deceive consumers. “Sugar, glucose syrup, flower petals, and artificial colours were mixed to give the appearance of pure honey,” he said.

He added that the vigilance team traced the illegal operation after prolonged surveillance and intelligence-based monitoring.

Terming the adulteration of honey a serious crime, Muhammad Asim Javaid warned that the use of chemically adulterated and substandard honey poses severe health risks to consumers. He said that, in line with the vision of the Chief Minister Punjab, the PFA is continuing province-wide operations against food adulteration and forgery.

The Director General also urged the public to cooperate with the Punjab Food Authority in eradicating food adulteration and to report violations through the PFA helpline at 1223.