GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Food Department has declared 32 edible items, including flour and cooking oils, as substandard.

Food department officials said the consumption of substandard items causes many dangerous ailments, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

According to a statement, the GB Drug, Food and Water Testing Laboratory and Drug Control Administration had sent samples of various edible items, including flour, wheat and cooking oils, for laboratory testing.

According to the laboratory test reports, flour, cooking oils and 32 food items were found to be substandard.

After the laboratory tests, the reports have been sent to the officials of the relevant institutions to ensure further prevention of the sale and purchase of substandard items in the region.

Chief Drug Inspector and Director of the Drug, Food and Testing Laboratory, Dr Junaid Akhtar, told the media that officials were also working to prevent the supply of substandard medicines in the region.

“For this, we have been conducting a series of inspections of various medical stores and hospitals to ensure the prevention of substandard medicines’ usage.”

Mr Akhtar said that cancer and heart disease in GB were caused by the consumption of substandard food items.

He said that in the past, due to the lack of a food laboratory in GB, samples were sent to Karachi and Lahore for testing, from where the reports were received after two to three months.

He said that after the establishment of a testing laboratory in GB, it has become easier to check the quality of food items on time and prevent the sale and purchase of substandard edible items.

The official said that there is an urgent need to create awareness among the public in this regard so that they do not use the listed products.

Earlier, food experts and medical doctors had said that the supply of substandard and low-quality edibles to GB was behind the uptick in cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases in the region.

They had demanded ensuring the quality of food products transported from other parts of the country.

The region has no food industry and its residents depend on other parts of the country for food products.

However, it is not clear whether these products were being supplied to the region by licensed companies or counterfeit companies, which might be using the logos of licensed companies.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2025