The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) is preparing to launch a Star Rating App that will grade restaurants across the province on cleanliness, hygiene, food quality and overall standards, marking a shift from post-raid enforcement to continuous, visible monitoring.
PFA Advisor Salma Matin said the new system will assess restaurants on multiple factors, including food quantity and the overall dining environment. A key component of the plan involves installing cameras inside restaurant kitchens, with live feeds displayed on screens within the dining area, allowing customers to view food preparation conditions in real time.
The proposed app will also let customers submit their own ratings based on cleanliness, food quality, portion size and hygiene standards. Officials said the ratings must be closely monitored to prevent misuse, including fake reviews or ratings driven by personal disputes rather than genuine experience.
Under a separate proposal, restaurant ratings would be displayed prominently at entrances, giving customers the ability to check a rating before deciding whether to eat there. Officials said the visible sticker system could influence customer footfall directly, rewarding restaurants that maintain consistent standards and pressuring those that do not.
The initiative follows a series of PFA raids uncovering food-safety violations across Punjab, including expired imported items such as chocolates and chips, and products with allegedly altered expiry dates. Authorities have also seized goods over suspected counterfeit packaging, including ghee packaged to resemble a well-known international brand and spices sold in allegedly fake wrapping.
PFA Director General Raja Mansoor has been credited with driving the authority’s broader food-safety enforcement push. Officials said the success of the Star Rating App will depend on transparent implementation, the frequency of restaurant evaluations, verification of public reviews, and whether poor ratings result in corrective action.
