Rawalpindi's seafood restaurants sealed for using cancer-causing oil

RAWALPINDI: A raid conducted by ARY News’ Zimmedar Kaun team along with Punjab Food Authority (PFA) revealed that a number of seafood restaurants in Rawalpindi were using rancid oil for preparing fried fish, ARY News reported.

A number of small restaurants selling fried/grilled fish in Rawalpindi’s Committee Chowk were sealed for using cancer-causing rancid oil and storage area of one was sealed for violating food safety regulations.

As shown in Zimmedar Kaun’s Sunday episode,  numerous small restaurants at Committee Chowk were checked for their adherence to food safety regulations and the measures taken by them after PFA warnings.

During the raid, except for one, almost all of the food points were using rancid oil (which can cause cancer) while many of them were storing fish in open or in dirty store rooms.

Later, a raid was conducted at a spice factory which produced spices for fried/grilled fish and other dishes.

The raid, conducted by DG PFA Captain (retired) Usman found out that the factor located in residential area was producing spices like macchli masala and biryani masala in unhygienic conditions.

Rats, cockroaches and dirt were roaming raw spices used for preparing packaged spices.

Moreover, the spices were being adulterated with non-edible item like red colour, animal feed.

DG PFA, lamented, that the spice factory was sealed in the past for its unhygienic practices but the owners learnt nothing from the episode.

“It is not only our responsibility to keep a check on these places, I urge people to report to us if they see any such activity in their surroundings,” said Usman.

Here is the video of the full show