Pakistan shutters juice factories making fake soft drinks

Local authorities in Punjab, Pakistan, have shut down five factories producing juice products on suspicion of counterfeiting soft drink brands.

An enforcement operation by the Punjab Food Authority uncovered 1,344 litres of ‘hazardous’ juice, 525 litres of fake soft drinks and 5,300 empty boxes during raids on the facilities, along with production equipment and counterfeit labels. The PFA also says it discarded “a huge quantity of loose colours and chemicals.”

PFA Director General Captain (R) Muhammad Usman said that authority has shut down a factory in Muridke, on charges of refilling bottles in the different brands of carbonated drinks and making spurious bottles with chemicals and contaminated water. He said that PFA has registered a case against the factory owner in the nearest police station.

Also shut down are Aftab Juice, Nadeem Juice and Kashif Juice in Sahiwal as well as Nadeem Ice Drink in Okara, after it was discovered that all five plants were selling “chemically contaminated juices” in the market.