food-safety standards

MOST countries have in place legal frameworks for ensuring food-safety standards, although implementation and effectiveness varies from place to place.

While Pakistan does not have a fully integrated set of legal mechanisms in this regard, there do exist laws that deal with the different dimensions of food safety.

These include, in particular, the Pakistan Pure Food Ordinance, 1960, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority Act, 1996, and the Hotels and Restaurants Act, 1976.

Consequently, there have been gains in ensuring that food intended for human consumers meets specific safety and quality standards. However, some observers have raised the need for targeted and integrated legislation to further streamline matters, especially in view of the passage of the 18th Amendment after which the provinces have become responsible for formulating their own legislation regarding the manufacture, transport and sale of food items.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken a timely step, therefore, in proposing a new law that will establish an autonomous food authority. This will be tasked not just with maintaining food safety standards, but also the availability of safe food. The provincial health department has formulated a draft law on food safety and standards, which has been sent to the law department and is likely to get the go-ahead. Once established, and if applied effectively, it could play a crucial role in improving the province`s food safety record. A similar step has already been taken by Punjab, and the other provinces need to follow suit.

Food safety and availability are crucial issues in a country where rising costs are, in a sense, creating fertile breeding ground for adulterators and profiteers. Further, an environment conducive to the implementation of the laws needs to be created by making the citizenry aware of its right to safe food and demanding this strongly.