- PFA slaps Rs 23,000 fine on Gourmet Bakers for poor personal hygiene of workers, no soap for handwash, uncovered products and smoke inside the manufacturing unit in Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate
- Gourmet GM Shaukat Ayaz hushes up issue, questions journalists’ involvement in a matter they say they have already ‘handled’
LAHORE
UMAIR AZIZ
The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has revealed that nicely-packed spicy chicken bread with sugary coating watering your mouth at a Gourmet Bakers and Sweets outlet might have workers’ “sweat” with some “dirt” and a “smoky tinge” to it as company’s “secret ingredients” to tickle your taste buds.
Some shocking revelations have come to the fore in a recent raid conducted by the authority at Gourmet’s manufacturing unit in the Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate.
The bakery was fined Rs 23,000 for “poor personal hygiene of workers, no soap for handwash, uncovered products and smoke inside the unit” among various others issues.
The provincial food authority has also put up some of the most shocking images of the manufacturing unit on the internet, further removing any doubts.
The revelation is doubly disturbing considering the large number of people shopping from Gourmet’s more than hundred branches spread across the city.
“The images are so disturbing that I regret having eaten from Gourmet ever. And what good is imposing a fine when people have consumed that junk? Especially in the food industry, authorities need to be stricter than that because public health is directly at stake,” Rehma Ali, a banker, said reacting to the news.
What further raises many eyebrows is the “meager” fine imposed for such gross violation of health standards as people have been voicing their concerns on the social media.
“Imposing such a meager fine seems a joke. The fine would have been in lakhs (hundred thousands) had it been a restaurant, but here it is so small and would have no effect. Does the PFA’s task is to take photographs and put it on their page to show efficiency or play some actual role by sealing the premises and save people?” Dr Wajid Ali said on the social media.
As per further reports, Gourmet Bakers have been distributing boxes of food items in Mayo and Children Hospitals on a daily basis too. “The items which are unhygienic for healthy people are being distributed for free to patients including children during the holy month,” a hospital official said.
The news was disturbing even for the employees of gourmet bakers.
Faizi Qadri, assistant branch manager at a Gourmet outlet, said that he was unaware of the bakery’s health standards despite that he had been working for it. However, he added, “You cannot find a single bakery perfect.”
PFA was established in 2011 to ensure availability of “safe and wholesome” food for human consumption.
PFA Director General (DG) Asad Aslam told Pakistan Today that many of Gourmet branches have been sealed in the past too.
“However, we avoid taking such harsh steps immediately and mostly give routine warnings as heads up. If only the corrective measures are not taken in time, we resort to sealing the premises. The issue with gourmet is when you expand your business so much, quality is compromised,” Aslam added.
When contacted, Gourmet General Manager Shaukat Ayaz questioned the involvement of journalists in a matter which they claim they have “handled” already.
“I need to check with my subordinates if the pictures uploaded by the food authority are actually from our premises and will revert to you on it,” he said, however did not respond to the queries on observed quality standards.
WELL COME AND THANKS FOR PFA FOR HAVING INVESTIGATION AND CHECKIING ON THE PRODUCTS OF GOURMET SHOWS THAT IN PAKISTAN STILL SOME HONEST DEAPRTMENTS EXIIST TO CONTROLL THE PRODUCTS BEING MANUFACTURED IIN PUNJAB.TGERE IS A BIIG ISSUE AND PROBLEM WIITH GOURMET THAT WE THE CONSUMERS OF BAKERY ITEMS FOR MORE THANT 8 YEARS,THERE IIS NO IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF THE ROUCTS,BUT PRICES HAD BEEN RAIISED AT A SHEMFUL LEVEL AND QUANTIITY HAS ALSO BEEN EXPERIIENCED WHICHIS UNJUSTIFIIED AND UNREASONABLE STEPS.THIS FINE OF R.S.23000/- IS NOTHING AS IT MUST HAD BEEN 230.000/-AND IITS LICENSE MUST BE SUSPENSED AT LEAST FOR 1 YEAR..NEARLY QUALITY F ALL THE BAKERY ITEMS HAD BEEN GONE DOWN,WHICH IS A SHAMEFUL AND ITS STANDARD HAD BEEN ALSO OBSERVED.IF GOURMET MANAGEMENT DESIRES TO SURVIVE,THEY TO KEEP COMPLETE CHECK AND BALANCE ON ITS PRODUCTS,OTHERWISE MANY CUSTOMERS WILL SAY GOOD BYE TO GOURMEY.I ONCE AGAIN EXPRESS MY SNCERE THANKS AND BEST WISHES FR PUNJAB FOOD AUTHORITY.PFA IS ALSO REQUESTED TO HAVE KEEN AND CLOSE VIEWS AND LOOK ON OTHER RODUCTS IN LAHORE FOR EXAMPLE MEAT,MILK,VEGETABLES AND FRUITS AND OTHER CONSUMABLE COMMODIITIES IN ABANDANCE BY CONSUMERS.
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