FOOD adulteration is a major public health concern in Pakistan — in both remote and major urban centres. A report by the Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority on milk adulteration in Karachi, submitted to the Sindh High Court, starkly highlights the scale of the problem. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of formalin — a chemical used as a preservative — and excessive phosphate in all milk samples, rendering the essential dairy product unfit for human consumption and underscoring the extent of this widespread menace. Equally problematic is the poor hygiene and safety practices observed across the supply chain — from farm to retail outlets — which the city administration described as dangerous to public health. But adulteration and unhygienic handling of food are not the only practices compromising food safety.

Another serious problem is the widespread availability of counterfeit and substandard food products marketed by unlicensed and unregistered manufacturers who imitate the brand names, packaging and even the overall appearance of popular items. These counterfeit products are not just available at street corner shops in our neighbourhoods at cheaper prices but are also on display — and quite prominently — in major departmental stores to dupe the unsuspecting public. The PSQCA’s decision to crack down on unlicensed establishments selling counterfeit products across the country is a welcome step. Pakistan does not lack the laws or institutional mechanisms needed to act against mushrooming food pirates; what it does lack though is the political will to take them on. Weak enforcement has long allowed unscrupulous actors to flood the market with unsafe food products. Their proliferation not only threatens public health but also undermines compliant manufacturers who struggle to compete with unregulated producers operating in the grey economy. These legitimate manufacturers have repeatedly raised the issue with the relevant authorities in the past. Yet their pleas have failed to move these officials to take sustained action against the culprits. Though the PSQCA’s latest quality control enforcement drive in Lahore and Faisalabad has produced early but limited results, the scope of the campaign must urgently be expanded to smaller cities and towns where the counterfeit industry truly thrives. Besides that, the federal quality control authority should forge strong alliances with provincial food safety departments to ensure a sustained crackdown for long-term results and impact.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2025