The Punjab Food Authority licenses and inspects every food business in the province under the Punjab Food Authority Act 2011. If you cook, prepare, store or sell food to the public anywhere in Punjab — a restaurant, a bakery, a home kitchen, a cloud kitchen, a juice cart — you are within its scope.
Who needs a licence
- Restaurants, cafés and takeaways.
- Home-based kitchens selling to the public — cooking at home does not exempt you.
- Cloud and shared kitchens, each unit licensed for its own premises.
- Bakeries, sweet shops, juice and shake outlets.
- Caterers, and anyone supplying food to events.
- Food storage and distribution premises.
What you need to apply
- CNIC of the owner or authorised person.
- Proof of the premises — tenancy agreement or ownership document, in the business name.
- A recent utility bill for the premises.
- Photographs of the premises, inside and out.
- Medical fitness certificates for food handlers, from an approved facility.
- The application form and fee for your business category.
- NTN, and company documents if you are incorporated.
The medical certificates are the item most often missing on the day, because people apply before hiring. Every person who touches food needs one, and they expire.
What the inspector actually looks at
An inspection is a walk through your kitchen with a checklist. The recurring failures are unglamorous and fixable:
- Water source. Where does it come from, is it stored covered, is there a test result.
- Cold chain. Fridge and freezer temperatures, and whether raw and cooked food are separated.
- Personal hygiene. Handwashing station with soap, clean uniforms, hair covering, valid medical certificates.
- Pest control. Evidence of a contract or a programme, and no visible signs.
- Waste. Covered bins, a disposal route, no accumulation near food areas.
- Labelling and expiry. No expired stock anywhere, including the store room. Expired ingredients on the shelf are among the most common reasons for an on-the-spot fine.
- Cooking oil. Repeatedly reused oil is specifically targeted by the PFA and draws penalties.
After the licence is issued
- Display it where customers can see it. That is a condition, not a courtesy.
- It applies to those premises only. A second branch needs its own licence.
- It expires. Diary the renewal — an expired licence is treated as no licence, and delivery platforms refuse a store whose licence has lapsed.
- Inspections continue. The PFA runs unannounced visits and publicises closures.
The other provinces
The same idea, different authority and statute. A PFA licence does not cover a kitchen outside Punjab.
| Province | Authority | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Sindh | Sindh Food Authority | Sindh Food Authority Act 2016 |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | KP Food Safety & Halal Food Authority | KP Act 2014 |
| Balochistan | Balochistan Food Authority | Balochistan Food Authority Act 2014 |
| Islamabad Capital Territory | The applicable federal / ICT regime | — |
Common questions
Who needs a Punjab Food Authority licence?
Any business that cooks, prepares, stores or sells food to the public in Punjab — restaurants, bakeries, caterers, juice outlets, cloud kitchens and home-based food businesses.
Do home kitchens need a PFA licence?
Yes. Cooking at home rather than in a commercial premises does not exempt you from registration if you are selling to the public. Ask your district office which category applies to a home operation.
What documents are needed for a PFA licence?
Owner CNIC, proof of premises such as a tenancy agreement, a recent utility bill, photographs of the premises, medical fitness certificates for all food handlers, the application form and the fee for your category, plus your NTN.
What do PFA inspectors check?
Water source and storage, fridge and freezer temperatures, separation of raw and cooked food, handwashing and personal hygiene, pest control, waste handling, expired stock anywhere on the premises, and reuse of cooking oil.
Does a PFA licence cover a branch in Karachi?
No. Food safety is provincial. A kitchen in Sindh needs a licence from the Sindh Food Authority, and each premises is licensed separately.