ISLAMABAD – Pepsi remained household name in top Pakistan beverages. Behind familiar fizz of soft drinks, authorities say far more troubling reality was brewing. A surprise raid in Islamabad exposed conditions that officials describe as a serious threat to public health.
Islamabad Food Authority (IFA) sealed Haideri Beverages and Beverages Plus, the main distributor of Pepsi in capital, after uncovering grave food safety violations at their facilities in Humak Model Town, Islamabad.
Sources revealed that the crackdown followed surprise raid carried out by IFA in coordination with the ICT Assistant Commissioner, acting on intelligence about serious health and safety risks. What inspectors discovered during the operation raised alarm bells.
According to officials, expired and fungus-contaminated sugar was allegedly being used in manufacturing of Pepsi and other soft drinks. The inspection team documented four major violations, including complete disregard for earlier warnings issued by the Food Authority.
Investigators found approximately 150 sugar bags with tampered expiry dates, pointing to deliberate mislabeling. Shockingly, cockroach infestation was observed on sugar bags, while large quantities of sugar were stored directly on the floor, which is violation of hygiene and food safety standards.
To assess extent of contamination, food authority staff collected two separate samples of spilled sugar for laboratory testing. Pending the results, authorities took sweeping action, sealing a staggering 54,874 sugar bags across both facilities.
Entire warehouses were shut down, and all production, sales, and procurement activities were immediately suspended until further notice. Officials disclosed that the expired sugar alone is worth millions of rupees, highlighting the scale of the violation.
Pepsi is yet to share official response and will update the story as soon as a statement is received.
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