ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has finally directed flour mills across the country to immediately stop using substandard and unregistered woven sacks for flour packaging.

The decision has been taken following the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) ruling in this regard in February this year.

The notification marks a major step towards improving food safety standards and curbing the use of hazardous packaging materials for wheat flour.

The IHC had directed the food security ministry and the PSQCA to convene a meeting with representatives of all provincial food authorities and submit a joint action plan for coordinated and sustained enforcement within 45 days.

PSQCA directive follows IHC verdict aimed at improving food safety standards across country

However, progress on the matter was delayed due to lockdowns in the federal capital amid the arrival of Iranian and US delegations for negotiations and the reduction of the working week to four days.

The PSQCA notification, recently issued by its director general, Dr Syeda Zia Batool, declared that the use of non-compliant packaging materials compromised hygiene standards and posed serious risks to public health.

“All flour mill owners and operators are hereby directed that the use of substandard, non-compliant, or unregistered woven sacks for flour packaging stands strictly prohibited with immediate effect,” it stated.

The notification further directed all flour mill operators, processors, distributors, and associated entities to stop procuring, utilising, or distributing any packaging material that does not conform to the national standards prescribed by the PSQCA.

Under the new instructions, flour mills will be required to use PSQCA-certified flour bags during packaging, storage, transportation, and retail sale of flour products.

The notification emphasised that compliance with the directive was “non-negotiable”.

Regulatory authorities have also been tasked with conducting strict inspections and surveillance of flour mills, storage facilities, and distribution points to ensure implementation of the order.

The management of each flour mill will be held responsible for ensuring compliance, while violations may result in legal action, penalties, and other enforcement measures under relevant laws.

The move is being viewed as a significant development in Pakistan’s food safety regime, particularly in the flour sector, where concerns have long been raised over the use of recycled and hazardous materials in woven sacks used for packaging wheat flour.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Polypropylene Woven Sacks Manufacturers Association Chairman Iskander Khan, in a statement, welcomed the implementation of the court order.

Mr Khan said that although wheat flour was a provincial subject, the enforcement of certified packaging standards was a national matter, and Pakistan needed to follow international standards in the food sector, as it would eventually aid exports of value-added edible products from the country.

“The move could bring long-awaited reforms to Pakistan’s flour industry by improving food safety, strengthening regulatory oversight, and protecting consumers from exposure to unsafe packaging materials,” he added.

Mr Khan further said that quality sacks would also save millions of tonnes of flour from contamination and wastage caused by porous sacks.

He claimed that around Rs112 billion worth of wheat flour was wasted every year due to substandard, porous woven bags and faulty packaging.

Published in Dawn, May 31th, 2026