A woman and her son were arrested in Lahore for selling dead and underweight chickens, while authorities seized and destroyed 970 kg of unsafe poultry meat.
The crackdown was initiated by the Director General of the Punjab Food Authority at Tollinton Market.
During early morning inspections, 44,000 kg of meat and poultry were checked, and dead chickens were discovered in a warehouse, leading to a case being registered.
The Punjab Food Authority’s Meat Safety team, during their routine inspection, uncovered a shop where dead poultry was secretly being prepared for sale. Despite strong resistance from the women involved, the operation was carried out under police supervision, and the contaminated meat was destroyed.
The inspection revealed poor hygiene conditions at the meat shop, where the unsafe chicken was meant to be distributed to various food outlets and catering services. Consuming such meat poses significant health risks and can lead to serious diseases.
DG Food Authority Asim Javed urged the public to purchase freshly slaughtered chicken and report any suspicious activity to the helpline at 1223.
Earlier in March, the Punjab Food Authority intensified its crackdown on suppliers of dead and emaciated chickens in Lahore by setting up screening checkpoints at the city’s entry points.
To oversee the ongoing operation against vendors selling unhealthy chicken, PFA Director General Muhammad Asim Javed visited meat shops at Tollinton Market. He reported that two shops were fined heavily, 12 food business operators (FBOs) received warning notices, and two others were given improvement notices.
Additionally, 61 kg of stale meat and 400 kg of dead chickens were disposed of during the operation.
The meat safety teams are thoroughly inspecting vehicles transporting chicken to local shops in Lahore to ensure daily consumption is safe. This action is part of efforts to control the sale of sick, emaciated, and dead poultry, in line with the directives of the Punjab Chief Minister.
The DG further stated that the PFA took action after recovering large quantities of dead chickens from vehicles. Butchers were also found storing expired and foul-smelling meat in their freezers, which the PFA discarded following the Punjab Pure Food Regulations.