Food is a favorite activity for every Pakistani. Or rather, it was. With Ayesha Mumtaz and the Punjab Food Authority having brought us all to our senses, everyone is on the lookout for possible health hazards. Unfortunately, things aren’t looking as good anytime soon. While restaurants may have been put on a leash, it was recently discovered that thousands of fake Coca Cola beverages, manufactured in local factories in cities like Gujranwala, may have made it to stores and maybe even into your refrigerators.
You should know how this fake coke is made so you don’t put your life or the lives of your loved ones in danger. Not that coke is a good thing to consume, even otherwise, but a fake one, I’m sure, is much worse. Here’s how it is made:
First, water is “purified”:
Since water is THE most basic ingredient for coke, here’s how this desi version is made in the fake manufacturing facilities:
Source: City District Government Gujranwala
One rather optimistic fellow saw the positive in this situation:
Other ingredients to the Coke are also added:
All those flavors like high fructose corn syrup and phosphoric acid that coke already has might put you off even more seeing how the fake factories’ ingredients look like:
Source: City District Government Gujranwala
And yes, there is that color too that makes coke all dark and mysterious:
Source: City District Government Gujranwala
Once mixed, all of it is then brewed to perfection:
Source: City District Government Gujranwala
Oh yeah, that’s your coke being cooked.
The bottles to be filled await the concoction:
Once that “mixture” is ready, it is put into original bottles that are bought from trash sellers and stored like this while the drink is manufactured:
Source: City District Government Gujranwala
And then the filling begins:
Source: City District Government Gujranwala
Notice that “pump” to the left of the photograph above.
When ready, the bottles are labelled and packed into containers:
Source: City District Government Gujranwala
Don’t worry, if you don’t drink coke
There are other beverages that are made at these fake factories, as well. Maybe your drink of choice is a Sprite?
Source: City District Government Gujranwala
Meet the chef:
The folks over at the DCO’s office in Gujranwala conducted a raid on a couple of factories last week and arrested some of the workers.
Source: City District Government Gujranwala
You need to be aware of what you’re putting into your bodies. And thanks to the Punjab Food Authority in Lahore, departments in other cities of the country have started showing some activity as well, even if it is for Facebook publicity, at least we’re getting our health out of all this.
Just, one thing, though…
This is still unexplained:
We can’t figure out what these boxes are for and we’re definitely not looking forward to the answer.
Source: City District Government Gujranwala
Well, here’s hoping that at least this Metro agarbatti is for use as an “air freshener” in the factory and not an ingredient in the coke 🙁
