Commerce ministry tightens conditions for edible imports

KARACHI: All food items imported from other countries need to have at least 66 percent of the shelf-life, as the Ministry of Commerce has notified ban on the import of all short expiry edible products.

According to a notification dated June 27, edible goods having less than 66 percent shelf-life could not be imported from July 1, 2019.

Earlier, edible goods with 50 percent of the shelf-life were allowed to be imported. Shelf-life refers to the period between the date of manufacture and the date of expiry, as printed on the label.

The move gains significance since there have been instances of foodstuff landing in Pakistan with very little time before their expiry.

The government notified labelling requirements for the import of edible products in February this year.

However, traders, importers and multinational companies dealing in fast moving consumer goods approached the Commerce Division, seeking more time for compliance with the new conditions.

Consequently, the government put off the implementation of the labelling guidelines on the import of edible products till the start of July.