The Govt has ordered a nationwide survey of loose edible oil, ghee, and milk after laboratory testing found quality concerns in many packaged food products. The decision aims to assess the safety and quality of unpackaged food items sold across Pakistan.
The directive was issued during a meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC), chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. During the meeting, the Govt instructed provincial governments, regional administrations, and relevant regulatory authorities to carry out a scientific survey of loose edible oil, ghee, and milk available in local markets.
The survey comes after laboratory testing conducted by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR). The findings were compiled by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). The review covered 491 packaged food samples collected from different categories.
According to the laboratory report, 315 samples met the required national quality standards. However, 176 samples failed to comply with those standards. This means nearly 36 percent of the tested products did not meet the required quality benchmarks.
The results showed that banaspati ghee had the highest number of failed samples. Out of 204 samples tested, 98 did not meet the required standards. Blended cooking oil also recorded a significant number of failures, with 40 out of 146 samples falling below the required quality level.
The report also identified concerns in the dairy sector. Of the 104 packaged liquid milk samples tested, 26 failed laboratory standards. In addition, 8 out of 18 milk powder samples did not meet quality requirements. Smaller numbers of failures were also reported for refined palm oil and refined canola oil.
Following these findings, the Govt formed a technical subcommittee consisting of experts from the Ministry of Planning, PCSIR, and PSQCA. The committee will carefully review the laboratory results and prepare recommendations for future regulatory and policy measures.
The National Price Monitoring Committee also reviewed the country’s latest inflation data during the meeting. Officials informed participants that headline inflation declined to 9.2 percent in July 2026 compared with 11.1 percent in June.
According to the briefing, natural gas remained the biggest contributor to inflation. Housing costs, wheat flour, fresh milk, and petrol also continued to increase overall prices. However, lower prices of sugar, potatoes, and chicken helped reduce inflation during the month.
The Govt also directed provincial governments and district administrations to investigate the large price gap between wholesale and retail markets for essential commodities. Officials have been asked to identify the reasons behind these differences and recommend measures to improve market transparency and protect consumers.
The nationwide survey is expected to provide a clearer picture of the quality of loose edible oil, ghee, and milk sold across Pakistan. The findings may help authorities strengthen food safety regulations and improve quality monitoring in local markets.
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Through this initiative, the Govt aims to enhance consumer protection, improve food quality standards, and ensure that products available in the market meet the required safety requirements. The recommendations from the technical committee are expected to guide future regulatory actions and strengthen quality control across the country.
