LAHORE: The All Pakistan Solvent Extractors’ Association demanded on Tuesday that the government stop import of soya bean meal and all other animal source meals at ports until tests by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) for detecting pork meat contamination are done.

In a letter to Federal Science and Technology Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain on October 29, association chairman Rana Iqbal Hussain says the banned items are being imported in Pakistan.

Since the import of meal containing crude protein and of meat meal poultry feed containing pork or pig fats is prohibited and banned vide an import policy order 2005-06 but some commercial and feed mill importers attempted to import these goods under the garb of fertilizers.

In September 2007, the Supreme Court took suo motu action on media reports and directed the Federal Board of Revenue to probe the matter thoroughly and report. In February 2008, the FBR submitted the report that during 2005-06 some samples were found contaminated with pork meat and about 250 containers were confiscated.

On assurance of the FBR officials that any banned and haram goods would not be allowed to be marketed in Pakistan, the Supreme Court stopped further proceedings on the case.

Mr Hussain says recently they learned that same ingredients were being imported under the changed classification of goods. Moreover, these importers are reportedly mixing these ingredients with the local soya bean meal to increase its value of protein.

In the absence of any reliable testing procedures available, the product is being freely marketed and even consignments are being cleared without test reports, which is ultimately harmful to our poultry and other livestock sector.

The association demanded that the imported items be tested by the PSQCA and if cleared in the laboratory and met the halal food standards, these be released otherwise be re-exported or confiscated.

It has also sought meeting with the minister to discuss the issue and set the course of action to resolve the crisis the industry is currently facing.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2015

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