IN THIS POST:
– About the Punjab Food Authority
– Responsibilities of the PFA
– Core Functions of PFA
– Services Offered by PFA
– How to Obtain a Food Licence?
– How to Avail PFA’s Remote Services?
– How to Lodge a Complaint with the PFA?
The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) is an organisation under the management of the Provincial Government of Punjab. The authority helps in regulating the standards of food safety and cleanliness across the province. Here’s all you need to about the PFA, including how to get a food licence in Pakistan, how to register your business with the Punjab Food Authority, and how to lodge a complaint with the Punjab Food Authority in case you observe poor hygienic conditions and lack of food safety at a business.
About the Punjab Food Authority (PFA)
Formed around a decade ago under the Punjab Food Authority Act 2011, the PFA is the very first agency in Pakistan and the only food authority in Punjab to enforce the standards of food hygiene and safety as per the Punjab Pure Food Rules 2011 and the Punjab Pure Food Regulations 2018, as per its official website. The authority aims to ascertain that the food being produced in the province is hygienic, free from contaminations, and being handled correctly throughout the supply chain before it reaches the final consumer.
The PFA inspects the premises of food businesses over time, with the frequency varying based on the business’ past history, the current findings, and the level of risk the business poses to the end consumers. However, all food businesses are inspected at least once a year upon the renewal of their licence.
Responsibilities of the Punjab Food Authority
Here are some of the core responsibilities of the PFA, in accordance with the Punjab Food Authority Act 2011:
- To monitor the food industry in the province, including manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, importers, and all other connected personnel to ensure compliance with the set standards of food safety.
- To formulate guidelines, procedures, processes, standards, and licencing protocols for any aspect connected to the food industry, including food labelling, food handling, the inclusion of additives, and others.
- To enforce the rules and regulations and maintain the standard of food quality in the province.
- To clarify all procedures and guidelines associated with opening up food laboratories.
- To specify all the details with respect to licencing, recalling procedures, prohibition notices, improvement orders, as well as the possibility of legal prosecution in case of non-compliance with the standards.
- To educate and advise, both the government and the people, in terms of food safety and food hygiene.
- To establish food laboratories for testing of quality standards.
- To organise and conduct training programmes that make food businesses aware of the standards that need to be followed.
- To approve products after quality testing for export.
- To conduct surveys and collect data related to the food industry for analysis.
All of these responsibilities of the PFA have been carried out since its inception by qualified teams of experts, comprising Food Safety Officers (FSOs) and Assistant Food Safety Officers (AFSOs). The core goal is to make sure that the quality and standard of food is maintained all the way from the producer to the consumer without any compromises being made in terms of food safety.
Functions Performed by the Punjab Food Authority
The FSOs and AFSOs perform the following functions to regulate food quality in Punjab:
Food Surveillance
Food surveillance primarily focuses on monitoring the food items being produced and sold in the local markets. While the process initially began with educating the local vendors in terms of personal hygiene, the importance of timely deliveries and temperature-controlled environments, and the need for proper labelling, now it is generally carried out via a combination of food sampling, unexpected raids, and even daily inspections, where the teams visit different firms involved in the production, processing, packaging, storage, and marketing of food.
The first step in enforcing the food standards is to issue an improvement notice to a particular vendor with a specified timeline to fix the issues. Then a scheduled visit is conducted as a follow-up to inspect the improvements. If the changes and improvements have not been implemented up to the mark, then fines, legal prosecution, seizure of the products, sealing of the business, and recalling of the product from the market are various other enforcement tools are used to uphold the standards.
Setting Food Standards
One of the responsibilities of the PFA also involves setting the standards by which food quality is measured across the province. The task involves a meticulous study of food items as well as their manufacturing, storage, distribution, and sale, to determine how food is supposed to be treated to maintain the highest quality possible.
The Punjab Pure Food Rules 2011 and the Punjab Pure Food Regulations 2018 mentioned on the official website of the Punjab Food Authority cover all food items as well as their standards in detail. Amendments are made to the standards only after due deliberation with the assistance of a scientific panel dedicated to the purpose.
Testing and Screening Food Items
The Punjab Food Authority has specialised food laboratories dedicated to testing food samples and ensuring that they are free from contamination. The lab also has a medical screening facility that tests the samples as well as the food handlers for food-transmitted diseases to reduce the risk of such illnesses in the province.
The food being tested at the labs is divided into the following sections:
- Water and Microbiology Section
- Fat and Oil Section
- Dairy Section
- Beverages Section
- Fruits and Vegetable Section
- Cereals and Spices Section
A range of commodities is tested in each category at the PFA Lab.
Services Offered by the Punjab Food Authority
Keeping their mission and vision in mind, the Punjab Food Authority offers the following services:
Food Licencing
One of the core services offered by the Punjab Food Authority is issuing licences to different operators in the food industry. Every food business should have a licence under the Punjab Food Authority Act 2011, and each licence must be renewed annually.
Manufacturing, selling, storing, importing, or distributing food items without a licence is a criminal offence, punishable with up to a year’s jail time, with a minimum of three days being spent in police custody. The offender also has to pay a fine between PKR 10,000 and PKR 5 lakh. You can also jump directly to how to obtain a food licence that we have covered in detail below.
Training of Food Operators and Officers
It is vital to create awareness among food operators regarding the standards that need to be followed and to train them so that they can bring the quality of their food items at par with global standards. As such, the PFA also has a school that focuses on training food handlers about food hygiene and safety so that fewer diseases spread via food.
After a quick registration, food handlers are trained in various sessions regarding the standards that they need to uphold, and a certificate is awarded to those who qualify for it, at the end of the training session. Currently, interested individuals can only register in level 1 or level 2, but there are plans to add more levels to the sessions soon.
The school also trains the Punjab Food Authority’s own personnel, building on their capabilities, competencies, and skills using the latest technology.
Registering Food Products
As a food operator, you will need to get your products registered with the Punjab Food Authority before you can sell them. Use this checklist prior to product registration and then apply for it using this form. You should also browse through the product registration guidelines before submitting your application.
How to Obtain a Food Licence?
If you are a food operator and need to get your licence from the PFA, there are several ways to apply for your food licence:
- Remotely through the Official Android App
- Conveniently via PFA’s Website
- Visiting a local PFA office
- Calling a local PFA team to help
Once you have applied for a licence, you will receive an SMS on your registered number, signifying a successful application process. A team will then visit your business premises to ensure that the hygiene and safety standards are being followed as per the regulations. The FSOs will recommend that a licence should be issued if you have met the required criteria.
You will then receive an SMS with a Challan ID of the Licence fee, which is to be paid within the next 15 days at any branch of Allied Bank. You will also receive an SMS confirming that the payment has been made. Once you deposit the fee, your licence will be printed, and you can expect it to be delivered to you in the next 5 to 7 working days.
It is important to apply for the correct licence category as per business’ needs because the licencing fee will vary accordingly. Check out all of the possible food licencing categories before submitting your application. You can check out the detailed food licencing guidelines in both English and Urdu on the official PFA website.
How to Avail PFA’s Remote Services?
The Punjab Food Authority offers an array of digital services via its Android app and its website. You need to register yourself using your CNIC number and your mobile number, as shown in the screenshot below, using either of these two digital platforms:
You will then be able to perform several processes online with convenience, including:
- Applying for a new food licence
- Registering food products with the PFA
- Enrolling for food safety training
- Opting for medical screening
- Lodging complaints and feedback
- Getting the latest news about the PFA
- Tracking the status of your licence
- Finding PFA branches near your business
How to Lodge a Complaint with the PFA?
The Punjab Food Authority is committed to elevating the quality of food in the province and welcomes feedback as well as complaints about poor food hygiene and safety. While you can use both of the digital methods explained above to launch a complaint, you can also call toll free on any of the Punjab Food Authority’s contact numbers to register your complaint. Dial 0800-80500, 0800-13505, or 0800-13525 to talk to a representative now!
The authority has offices in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Multan, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Okara, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Vehari, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Khushab, Sargodha, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, and Khanewal.
The Info Desk & Downloads sections on the Punjab Food Authority’s website contains a number of other reading material, including SOPs for various food businesses, past inspection reports, and more for specific queries about your food business. You can also check out jobs at PFA on the official website or on their Facebook page.
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*[Cover Image Credits: Facebook/Punjab Food Authority]
