Around 3,000 kilograms of rotten and substandard meat has been seized and destroyed after being recovered from a passenger bus in Peshawar, in a major food safety enforcement action by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities.
The seizure highlights ongoing concerns about unsafe food transportation practices affecting public health across the province.
How the Rotten Meat Was Discovered in Peshawar
According to a spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority, the Peshawar food safety team had set up a checkpoint near Kala Mandi on Grand Trunk Road to inspect vehicles transporting food items. During the inspection, officials discovered a large quantity of rotten meat concealed in compartments of a passenger bus.
The meat was declared unfit for human consumption by food safety officials and was later destroyed at the WSSP dumping area to prevent it from entering the local food supply.
Legal Action Taken Over the Meat Seizure
The spokesperson said transporting meat in concealed compartments is a clear violation of food safety and hygiene standards. Legal proceedings have since been initiated against those involved in transporting and supplying the unsafe meat under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety Act.
Authorities say checkpoints along major routes such as Grand Trunk Road will continue to be used to intercept similar attempts to move substandard food products into the city.
Officials have urged the public to report any suspected sale of unsafe or substandard meat to the Food Safety and Halal Food Authority for prompt action.
Food safety officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have stepped up checkpoint inspections along major transport routes in recent months, following several similar seizures of substandard food items being moved into urban centers from surrounding districts.
Officials say passenger buses have increasingly been used to conceal illegal food shipments, since such vehicles attract less scrutiny than dedicated cargo transport, prompting authorities to widen their inspection focus to include public transport alongside commercial trucks.
The Food Safety and Halal Food Authority has reiterated that strict penalties, including potential imprisonment under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety Act, await those found guilty of knowingly supplying unsafe meat for human consumption.
Consumer advocacy groups in Peshawar have praised the seizure as an example of effective enforcement, while also calling for more frequent and unannounced checks at markets and slaughterhouses to catch unsafe meat before it reaches transport vehicles in the first place. Authorities have acknowledged that transport checkpoints, while useful, address only one stage of a supply chain that also needs stronger oversight at the point of slaughter and initial sale.
Officials say further checkpoint operations are planned in the coming weeks as part of a sustained effort to keep unsafe meat and other substandard food products out of Peshawar’s markets.
Health officials have reiterated that consuming spoiled or improperly stored meat carries serious health risks, including food poisoning and long-term digestive issues, reinforcing the importance of continued vigilance at transport checkpoints across the province.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has previously announced plans to expand food safety staffing and equipment across the province, and officials say incidents like this latest seizure reinforce the need for continued investment in enforcement capacity.
Residents in Peshawar have been advised to purchase meat only from licensed and verified vendors, and to report any suspicious sellers to the Food Safety and Halal Food Authority’s dedicated helpline for prompt investigation.
