ISLAMABAD, March 21: The SAARC-member countries should develop mutual consultation on the application of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures for maintaining quality and standard of consumer goods.

This was stated by Dr Syed Wajid H. Pirzada, national coordinator of WTO and Enquiry Point on SPS, while presenting his research paper at a workshop on ‘SPS agreement’ here on Friday.

He stressed the need for regional consultation on regulatory framework, development of regional conformity assessment/good assurance certification mechanism and their harmonization and equivalence arrangement, along with core human resource development for food quality and ‘safety management’.

Dr Pirzada said setting up of a regional network on SPS and quality control would help provide the SAARC member countries all food hygiene and food safety measures— maximum level of plant protection chemical and veterinary medicines residues in plants and animals, food additives used in food.

The researcher recommended Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) to be adopted at SAARC level in all production units.