Islamabad :– Food Regulatory Enhancement at the heart of an Executive Food Regulatory Workshop attended by Senior Officials of Food Safety Authorities in Pakistan
Senior officials from Provincial Food Authorities of Pakistan from 25th to 27th June, 2024 to review and discuss best practices in “Designing and Operating Food Regulatory Functions”, as part of a workshop bringing together Director Generals, Directors, and Technical Officials from all Provincial Authorities of Pakistan, including Azad Jammu Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, and the Islamabad Food Authority.
The 3-day workshop was held under the PAFAID Project (Project for Agri-Food and Agro-Industry Development Assistant), implemented by UNIDO and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It was delivered by Prof. Samuel Godefroy, Professor of Food Risk Analysis and Regulatory Policies at Laval University and Former Director General of the Food Directorate under the Federal Department of Health in Canada.
The workshop covered the core food regulatory functions of the Provincial Food Authorities, with emphasis on reviewing practices related to the management of food business operations, in a manner that enhances the protection of consumers in Pakistan, while contributing to the uptake of best food handling practices by local food producers.
The workshop focussed on the collaborative nature of food safety regulatory functions and the need to promote a culture of compliance amongst food producers in Pakistan.
Participants conducted a SWOT analysis of their performance in delivering food regulatory functions and developed recommendations for enhancement, calling for more collaboration at the Federal/Provincial/ Territorial level and for increased food regulatory science capacity as well as enhancing the governance of food safety decision-making in Pakistan. They reaffirmed their commitment to sustain a predictable, transparent, collaborative and evidence-based food regulatory environment in their respective provinces and to bolster collaboration with the food production sector and with other stakeholders in Pakistan.
Report by Sohail Majeed Butt
