The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority recently wrapped up a two-week campaign dedicated to testing the quality of pops, chips, and spices—a groundbreaking initiative in the province’s history.
Throughout the campaign, a total of 462 samples were collected from factories across the region for comprehensive testing. These included 175 samples of pops, 24 of nimco, 160 of seasoning powders, and 103 of curry powders. Among the pops samples, 93 met the required standards, while 82 were found to be substandard. For nimco, 16 out of 24 samples passed quality checks, with 8 failing to meet the standards. Seasoning powder results showed 131 out of 160 samples were satisfactory, leaving 29 substandard. Similarly, 74 out of 103 curry powder samples adhered to food safety standards, while 29 were flagged as substandard.
The findings revealed that 46.2% of pops, 33.3% of nimco, 18.1% of seasoning powder, and 28.1% of curry powder samples failed to meet quality standards. The testing criteria included moisture levels, free fatty acids, total ash content, peroxide values, packaging thickness, and aflatoxin levels. Advanced tools like ELISA readers, proximate NIR, muffle furnaces, and digital screw gauges were used for accurate analysis.
Director General Wasif Saeed emphasized that the campaign aimed to evaluate and ensure the quality of food items, particularly those commonly consumed by children. He issued a stern warning against the sale of substandard or harmful food products. Secretary for Food Saqib Raza Aslam assured that similar initiatives would continue to ensure public access to safe, high-quality food.
Food Minister Zahir Shah Toru commended the efforts of the Food Authority teams and reiterated the government’s commitment to enhancing food safety by equipping the authority with advanced scientific facilities. He expressed hope that these measures would contribute to reducing healthcare challenges in the province by ensuring better food quality.
