Role of Food Safety System uplifting Food Safety Standards in Pakistan and

response of Government towards the System also Highlight the role of private
organizaton in designing the national policy regarding Food Safety
Introduction:
Ensuring appropriate food safety standards has become a more complex issue over the past few
decades, requiring consideration of a number of interrelated issues. Numerous safety risks have
been eliminated because to advancements in science and technology, including the creation of
more accurate analytical tools and better farming and preservation methods. On the other side,
some contemporary scientific methods, such the growing use of chemicals and other additives,
have also brought about harmful alterations to the entire food supply chains that were never
anticipated throughout history. Additionally, a number of additional issues like population
growth, the global recession, a growing media landscape, and increased consumer awareness
have given the food industry many new dimensions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that food safety is based on five principles. Food
contamination can be avoided by keeping raw and cooked foods separate, cooking food for the
right amount of time and temperature to kill pathogens, storing food at the right temperature, and
using safe raw materials and water. Pathogens can also spread from people, pets, and pests. Upon
examining these criteria, it is evident that Pakistan does not generally adhere to them.
Pakistan lacks a formal policy on food safety that is clearly stated, despite the likely prevalence
of foodborne illness. Currently, production, distribution, and food supply are covered by the
majority of food regulations. Pakistan, like other developing nations, has a very basic food
system with a number of problems, including fundamentally different agency missions, a
shortage of competent workers, and a lag in the development of new technologies for food
safety.

Role of Food Safety System Uplifting Food Safety System in Pakistan:

Basic Food Safety System and Standards:
In addition to fundamental rules governing food safety, there are numerous other regulatory and
law enforcement organizations that are involved in the matter both directly and indirectly. For
the most part, the government bases its rules for labeling, packaging, food additives, pesticides,
and imported food goods substantially on the Codex Alimentarius standards and guidelines,
which were collaboratively produced by the FAO and WHO. Certain items also adhere to food
standards set by the Food and Drug Association (FDA) and the United States Food and Drug
Administration (USDA).
Pakistan's government has pledged to abide with the 1995 WTO Agreement on the Application
of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement); but, in order to do so, Pakistan must
update its SPS control system. A government control action implemented to guarantee food
safety or to safeguard the health of plants or animals is known as an SPS measure.
It is well established that a sizable fraction of agro-food items sent to domestic and foreign
markets do not adhere to food safety, plant and animal health, or other regulations. According to
a study conducted by the Agricultural Research Council's Grain Quality Testing Laboratory, at
least 25 shipments of Pakistani plant products are rejected annually by the EU's SPS control
authorities, and about 26% of plant food samples had pesticide or aflatoxins levels above
permitted limits. Furthermore, Pakistan has halted its fisheries product shipments to the EU
because it is having trouble complying with EU food safety regulations.
Consequently, it is evident that the SPS control system in Pakistan is malfunctioning on a
systemic level. There are hazards to the health and welfare of people and animals, as well as the
financial interests of farmers, because the restrictions are ineffective in stopping unsafe items
from being released onto the market. In addition to having an adverse effect on domestic
customers and the livelihoods of farmers who supply the home market, this failure compromises
export performance.
In addition, various government organizations, including the National Institute of Health (NIH),
the Customs Department, Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), Pakistan Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research (PCSIR), Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), and Pakistan
Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), are also striving to achieve food safety
goals within their respective domains. Notwithstanding the abundance of agencies and
regulations in place, the grim reality remains that the nation's standards for food safety and
security are now quite low.

Laws Dealing with Food Safety in Pakistan :

Pakistan too lacks an integrated legal framework, but it does have a number of laws that address
different facets of food safety. Even though these rules were passed a long time ago, they offer a
great deal of potential to ensure food safety at a minimum. Like with a lot of other laws, these
are still not well enforced. These laws are summarized briefly below:

1. Pakistan Pure Food Laws (PFL), 1963:

The PFL serves as the foundation for the nation's current trade-related food safety and quality
regulatory framework. It includes 104 food items grouped into nine main categories: beverages,
food grains and cereals, starchy foods, fruits and vegetables, spices and condiments, milk and
milk products, edible oils and fat products, and miscellaneous food items. These rules cover food
additives, food preservatives, artificial and food coloring, antioxidants, heavy metals, and purity
concerns with raw food.

2. The Pure Food Ordinance, 1960:

The Pure Food Ordinance of 1960 unifies and modifies the laws pertaining to food
processing and sales. This law, with minor modifications, has been enacted in all
provinces and certain northern districts. Its goal is to guarantee that food given to
consumers in the market is pure, which helps to prevent adulteration. It is against the law
for anybody to mix, dye, stain, or powder any food if doing so would violate established
guidelines or be likely to cause health risks. The guidelines establish requirements for
metals, colors, flavorings, antioxidants, stabilizers, anti-caking agents, and non-nutritive
 ingredients. Additionally, it is against the law to sell, prepare, produce, import, or export
any food that is unhealthy, unsound, or harmful for human consumption.
The law has established four criteria to guarantee food purity:
It forbids the production, processing, or preparation of food that is probably dangerous for
ingestion by humans, such as any food that can result in food poisoning
It forbids the import or export of dangerous food items.
lays out specific requirements for hygiene;
permits food samples to be inspected and analyzed in a lab using predetermined criteria.
There is an exception to the Pure Food Ordinance 1960 for cantonment sites. The Cantonment
Pure Food Act, 1966 is a special law that applies to cantonments. The Cantonment Pure Food
Act and the Pure Food Ordinance of 1960 are identical in every way. There are even a lot of
similarities in the operating rules.
There is an exception to the Pure Food Ordinance 1960 for cantonment sites. The Cantonment
Pure Food Act, 1966 is a special law that applies to cantonments. The Cantonment Pure Food
Act and the Pure Food Ordinance of 1960 are identical in every way. There are even a lot of
similarities in the operating rules.

3. Pakistan Hotels and Restaurant Act, 1976:

The Pakistan Hotels and Restaurant Act of 1976 aims to govern and manage the prices and
quality of services provided by hotels and restaurants, and it is applicable to all hotels and
restaurants in Pakistan. According to section 22(2), it is illegal to sell food or drinks that have
been contaminated, are not prepared hygienically, or are served with unclean or unhygienic
utensils. The act does not expressly prohibit anyone from addressing a complaint or specify the
right of consumers to file one. Furthermore, it does not offer customers compensation in the
event of damages, similar to other food regulations.

4. The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) Act, 1996:
The national standardization organization is the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control
Authority, which is a division of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Under the PSQCA
Act, 1996, PSQCA is able to carry out its operations. As the supreme authority for creating and
approving international standards, PSQCA is a part of the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO).

PSQCA also serves as:

 Focal Point For National, Regional And International Organizations & Institutions Such As ISO,
IEC, Codex Alimentarius And WTO.
 National Enquiry Point (NEP) For WTO Agreement On Technical Barrier To Trade
(TBT).
 Introduce Measures Through Standardization Regarding Consumer Safety And Health.
  Establish Procedure To Conformity Assessment Compliant With National &
International Standards.
Public access to the voluntary PSQCA standards is provided. Their execution is contingent upon
the parties involved approving them. On the other hand, a Pakistan standard becomes legally
enforceable if it is mentioned in a contract, mentioned in a law, or mandated by special Federal
Government regulations. The mission of PSQCA is to test and inspect goods for quality,
specifications, and characteristics throughout use, as well as for import and export, including
food items.

Institutional Mapping :
Controls in Pakistan are still arranged according to commodity groups (plant, livestock, fish) that
correspond to the roles played by various government departments. Concerned are numerous
federal ministries and agencies. The responsibilities of the organization are closely related to the
corresponding laws.

Role of Government towards uplifting the Standard:

1. Ministry of National Food Security and Research:
The Ministry of National Food Security and Research was established in October by the
Pakistani government. Although it is still in the early stages of operation, the new Ministry is
anticipated to begin regulating agricultural plant and animal health in January 2012.
2. Ministry of National Food Security and Research was established in October by the Pakistani
government. Although it is still in the early stages of operation, the new Ministry is anticipated to
begin regulating agricultural plant and animal health in January 2012.
Marine Fishery Department Conditions
for food
safety for
fisheries
goods
exported, as
per the Fish
Hygiene and
Quality
Control Rules
of 1997

Animal Husbandry Chief

Veterinary
Commissioner
Officer;
pharmaceut
icals and
vaccines;
epidemiolo
gy; disease
surveillanc
 e and
control;
dairy
industry

Import
and
Animal Quarantine export
Department regulatio
ns on
animal
health;
meat
inspectio
n for
exported
meat and
casings.
controls
at
checkpoi
nts for
border
inspectio
ns. The
1979
Ordinanc
e on
Animal
Quaranti
ne
(Import
and
Export
of
Animal
Products
)

National Veterinary Laboratory surveillance of

diseases, testing
of veterinary
drugs, and
testing of
vaccination
quality and
 residue

control
s on
Department of Plant import
Protection s and
export
s for
plant
disease
s and
pests
at 26
border
inspect
ion
station
s.
compli
es with
the
Plant
Quara
ntine
Act of
1976.
In
charge
of
approv
ing
pestici
des
(Pestic
ide
Ordina
nce,
1971)

Grain Quality Testing

Testing for aflatoxin and pesticide residue, as well as sampling and
testing for the import and export of grains and other foods

National Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service "Special program

for establishment
of National
 Animal and Plant
Health Inspection
Services -
Strengthening of
SPS Facilities and
Quality
Inspection
Services in
Compliance with
WTO" Examining
and putting into
place a system to
synchronize SPS
controls.
According to the
draft bill,
NAPHIS will be
in charge of
formulating
policies, bringing
legislation to
bear, and ensuring
effective
enforcement.

Its main job is to

make that food
The Customs imports into
Department Pakistan comply
with the country's
regulations
regarding labeling
and shelf life,
aren't placed on
the prohibited list,
and are charged
the proper import
duties.

Food safety in
Department of Health restaurants,
hotels, and other
retail and catering
businesses
serving the
national market;
 water supply
monitoring
Role of Private organization in designing the National Policy regarding Food
Safety :
In order to tackle common difficulties, public-private collaboration refers to combining the
collective knowledge and specialized experience of the private sector, the government, and
educational institutions. Public-private partnerships combine the resources of the government
with the creativity of business to produce a force multiplier. By pooling resources in this way,
the alliance can close gaps and find answers to significant problems with food safety.
Consider the Food Safety Cooperation Forum and Partnership Training Institute Network (FSCF
PTIN) of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). This collaboration was started in
2007 with the goal of educating regulators on food safety by involving the food sector, academic
specialists, and industry participants. All 21 of the leaders of the APEC economies fully
endorsed the FSCF PTIN. Never before has a food safety campaign gotten such high-level
support or such a collaborative effort been established on a regional basis. The FSCF PTIN
demonstrates how worldwide public-private partnerships may play a significant role in
exchanging knowledge about food safety and winning over governments to the cause of
improving food safety.
In order to maintain global food trade and safeguard citizens against foodborne illnesses, public-
private cooperation on food safety is crucial. Collaboration between the public and commercial
sectors is necessary to achieve this. Senior representatives from the China Food and Drug
Agency are part of the group that the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is hosting
for the China Food Products Executive Training Program in January 2018. The schedule is made
to introduce delegates to best practices, such as American food safety program implementation.
The group will visit with top American businesses to view innovative approaches that can help
them achieve their domestic food safety objectives. On January 26, 2018, USTDA will conduct
an Industry Roundtable for American companies in Minneapolis as part of the schedule.