By Ayesha Saba

Pakistan is moving towards a national food quality framework with enhanced quarterly testing and stricter enforcement after official monitoring uncovered food-safety concerns in packaged foods, prompting a nationwide survey of loose edible oil, ghee and milk.

According to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives' Monthly Development Update – September 2026, available with Wealth Pakistan, authorities have directed a national food quality framework, along with enhanced quarterly testing, including rural markets.

The measures followed quality tests in which 176 out of 491 packaged food samples failed. The report described food safety as a major concern arising from these findings.

The report does not identify the brands or types of packaged foods that failed the tests, nor does it specify the individual quality parameters against which the samples were assessed.

Following the findings, a nationwide survey of loose edible oil, ghee and milk was initiated.

The report also notes that quarterly testing will be enhanced, including in rural markets, while stricter enforcement against violators has been directed.

The measures emerged from two reviews conducted under the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) in August to assess inflation, food quality and liquefied petroleum gas pricing dynamics.

The food-quality initiative comes against the backdrop of renewed inflationary pressures.

Average Consumer Price Index inflation during July-August FY2026-27 stood at 10.2%, compared with 3.6% in the corresponding period of FY2025-26.
In August 2026, CPI inflation rose to 11.1% year-on-year from 9.2% in July, reflecting renewed price pressures.

Urban food inflation reached 12.1% in August, while transport inflation stood at 20.2%, emerging as the primary drivers of the overall price surge.

The report states the government has strengthened market oversight through the NPMC and enhanced surveillance mechanisms to contain price volatility.

Measures were also initiated to bridge wholesale-retail price gaps, while disparities between notified and market prices of LPG were taken up.
The Ministry of Petroleum and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority were tasked with ensuring fair LPG pricing.

Alongside price monitoring, the report outlines a separate set of measures focused on food quality, including the national food quality framework, a nationwide survey of loose edible oil, ghee and milk, enhanced quarterly testing and stricter enforcement against violators.

The September report does not provide a timeline for the completion of the national food quality framework or specify when the results of the nationwide survey of loose edible oil, ghee and milk will become available.

It does, however, set out the direction of the food-quality initiative through enhanced quarterly testing, the inclusion of rural markets, stricter enforcement and a nationwide survey following the failure of 176 out of 491 packaged food samples in quality tests.

Credit: INP-WealthPk