January 3, 2006	Tuesday	Zilhaj 2, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: The government plans to update the existing Pure Food Ordinance 1960 to access the international market by keeping pace with the changing world, an official source told Dawn on Monday.

Under the plan, the source said, all food testing laboratories would be accredited besides enhancing the capacity of the existing food inspectors to meet the requirement of the new global requirements.

Since Pakistan is signatory to the WTO, the source said, it was all the more important for it to keep pace with the advancement taking place globally in food laws and regulations.

The proposed measures also suggest improvement in food analysis procedures apart from the new quality standards for food products. Besides, the food ordinance, which contains 105 food items, will also be enhanced to accommodate 400 new products.

Unfortunately, the condition of different laboratories to assess food samples is not ideal, he said, adding majority of them were under-staffed and lacked capacity to understand the scientific innovations in the field of food. These laboratories have also deteriorated because of negligence and lack of maintenance, he deplored.

On Saturday, a meeting was held at the National Institute of Health (NIH) to develop a countrywide consensus on revising the food ordinance by involving the provincial counterparts and relevant stakeholders.

Presiding over the meeting, Executive Director NIH K.A Karamat emphasized that during the last four decades the field of food technology had undergone numerous innovations.

New technologies like genetic engineering, food irradiation and modified atmospheric packaging have increased agriculture produce, extended their shelf life and made food more safer, he said, adding the new food safety standards had also been promulgated by developed nations.

During the meeting, the experts were of the view that the existing food laws required revision to benefit the country, which would also help improve the health of the people by managing food-borne diseases and increasing food trade with other countries.

Pakistan, being a member of Saarc had participated in a regional meeting held in Kathmandu (Nepal) in 2001 on modernising food control system in the region and had agreed to a comparative study of different food regulations currently applicable in Saarc. The participants had also agreed to utilise “Codex” standards as a benchmark for fair food trade between the countries of the region.

Codex commission was created in 1963 by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and WHO (World Health Organization) to develop food standards, guidelines and related codes of practice under the joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair trade practices in the food trade.