‘Food imports must meet Pakistan standards’

KARACHI: The Ministry of Commerce, through an amendment in the Import Policy Order 2013, has notified 78 items, which must meet Pakistan Standards at the import stage, an official said on Saturday.
The list of products dated January 8, 2015, mostly comprises food products, including beverages, edible oil and confectionary, etc, which are imported on a large-scale without any proper assessment of the quality and standards.
A Customs official said they check the Pure Foods Laws (PFL) standards to determine whether an item is deemed importable. The official said the notification had been circulated among all the Customs formations for effective implementation.
Food items, which need to meet Pakistan standards at the import stage include apple juice, banaspati, butter, carbonated beverages, bottled drinking water, cooking oil, cotton seed oil cake expeller type, chilly powder, concentrated fruit juice, condensed milk, curry powder, edible sesame oil, food for children and infants, flavored milk, fruit squash, honey, iodized salt, jams / jellies, margarine, mayonnaise and marmalades, milk powder, natural mineral water, orange juice, palm oil, pickles, refined edible oil, sugar, synthetic vinegar, tea black, turmeric and biscuits.
Moreover, two-wheeler and three-wheeler auto vehicles, balanced feed mixture for livestock, gas appliances polypropylene woven sacks for packing, cement and poultry feed are now subject to meet Pakistan Standards at the import stage, the official said.
A Customs clearing agent said now they would need certification from the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) for clearance from the Customs.
There were some other products for which PSQCA certificate was required, he said, adding, the authority usually issued provisional certification without even testing the products, provisional document enabled clearance of goods and there was never any follow-up in this regard.
PSQCA is mandated to foster and promote standards and conformity assessment as a means of advancing the national economy, promoting industrial efficiency and development, ensuring the health and safety of the public, protecting the consumers, facilitating domestic and international trade and furthering international cooperation in relation to standards and conformity assessment.
Recently, the Ministry of Food Security and Research took notice of import of food products containing ‘Haram’ ingredients in the country and issued a list of such products, advising complete ban on their import.