Sindh Food Authority conducts over 350 inspections across Sindh, imposes over Rs. 2 million in fines

SFA Seals Renowned Pizza Brand’s Unit in Karachi Over Use of Expired Ingredients

Karachi, November 16, 2024: The Sindh Food Authority (SFA) has intensified its efforts to ensure food safety and regulatory compliance across Sindh, conducting more than 350 inspections in a single day. These comprehensive inspections, carried out on November 16, 2024, spanned multiple districts and resulted in the issuance of improvement notices, the imposition of fines, and the advancement of licensing processes, all aimed at safeguarding public health.

In District South, two SFA teams conducted 35 inspections, issuing 11 improvement notices and imposing fines amounting to Rs. 640,000. Similarly, in District Kemari, 12 inspections were conducted, leading to five improvement notices and fines totaling Rs. 90,000. The District Korangi team carried out 48 inspections, during which 15 improvement notices were issued, 12 fines totaling Rs. 520,000 were imposed, and 15 license challans worth Rs. 146,900 were issued. District Malir saw 15 inspections, resulting in 11 improvement notices and fines amounting to Rs. 300,000. In District East, a total of 40 inspections were conducted, resulting in the issuance of 3 improvement notices and 7 fines totaling Rs. 155,000, additionally, 10 license challans were issued.

In Shaheed Benazirabad (SBA), 18 inspections were carried out, leading to the issuance of 13 improvement notices and 7 license challans were issued. In Mirpurkhas , 18 establishments were inspected, leading to the issuance of three improvement notices, while the Hyderabad Vigilance Team conducted 23 inspections, issued 17 improvement notices, and imposed fines of Rs. 120,000. Inspections were also carried out in other districts, including Umerkot-Tharparkar, Sanghar, Thatta, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Matiari, Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan, Dadu, and Tando Allahyar, with a focus on ensuring compliance with food safety standards and promoting public health.

Director General Sindh Food Authority, Muzamil Hussain Halepoto, lauded the efforts of the teams and reiterated the Authority’s commitment to enhancing food safety across the province. He emphasized that the Sindh Food Authority would continue its strict enforcement measures against non-compliant establishments to ensure that food sold to the public meets high safety standards.

In a separate operation , the Sindh Food Authority led by Nadeem Asghar Shar raided the manufacturing unit of a renowned pizza brand in Malir, Karachi, and uncovered severe violations of food safety regulations. A significant quantity of expired ingredients was seized, which had been used to prepare pizzas sold across the city. Director General Muzamil Hussain Halepoto stated, “Using decayed and substandard ingredients to prepare food is a grave threat to public health. Such violations will not be tolerated.”

The unit was sealed, and a fine of Rs. 400,000 was imposed on the violators. Halepoto further reaffirmed the Authority’s resolve to take stringent actions against businesses compromising the health of citizens, urging the public to support the Sindh Food Authority’s mission to ensure safe and healthy food for everyone.