NPMC meeting: Ahsan orders nationwide survey of loose edible oil, ghee, milk

ISLAMABAD, Aug 07 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Friday directed a nationwide scientific survey of loose (unpackaged) edible oil, ghee and milk after the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) reviewed laboratory findings showing quality concerns in packaged food products, while noting that headline inflation eased by nearly two percentage points in July.

The minister issued these directives while chairing the NPMC meeting to review the country’s inflation outlook, food quality standards and price trends of essential commodities, a news release said.

The meeting reviewed the findings of a laboratory assessment of packaged edible oil, ghee and milk products, conducted on the directions of the planning minister to scientifically evaluate the quality of commonly consumed food items.

The assessment was carried out by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), while the consolidated report was prepared by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Taking serious notice of growing public concerns over rising cases of cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases, particularly among younger Pakistanis, Ahsan directed provincial governments, regional administrations and relevant regulatory authorities to undertake a comprehensive nationwide survey of the quality of loose edible oil, ghee and milk being sold across the country.

He said the survey would scientifically assess the quality of these widely consumed products, identify regional trends and determine whether substandard products were posing risks to public health.

The minister said food quality had become a matter of national importance, stressing that the government had a responsibility to ensure citizens’ access to safe and healthy food.

“The objective is not merely to identify deficiencies but to ensure that every citizen has access to safe, healthy and quality food that meets national standards,” he said, adding that public health must remain at the centre of economic and regulatory policymaking.

The laboratory assessment revealed significant concerns regarding the quality of packaged food products available in the market.

According to the report, 491 samples of packaged edible oil, ghee and milk products were collected and tested. Of these, 315 samples met the prescribed national quality standards, while 176 failed to conform, reflecting a non-conformance rate of around 36 per cent.

The report showed that 98 out of 204 banaspati ghee samples, 40 out of 146 blended cooking oil samples, 26 out of 104 packaged liquid milk samples, eight out of 18 milk powder samples, three out of four refined palm oil samples and one out of 13 refined canola oil samples failed to meet the required standards.

Officials informed the meeting that the report had been consolidated by PSQCA following laboratory analysis conducted by PCSIR and submitted for policy consideration.

To ensure a comprehensive scientific evaluation of the findings, the minister constituted a technical sub-committee comprising experts from the Ministry of Planning, PCSIR and PSQCA. The committee will critically examine the laboratory findings and submit evidence-based recommendations for regulatory and policy action.

Ahsan directed that the next phase of the exercise should focus on assessing the quality of loose edible oil, ghee and milk, which were not covered in the laboratory testing of packaged products.

He instructed provincial governments and relevant authorities to identify regional quality patterns, determine the causes of deficiencies and recommend practical measures to strengthen food safety standards, regulatory oversight and consumer protection.

The committee also reviewed the country’s inflation outlook, monthly and weekly price trends, wholesale-retail price differentials, international and domestic prices of essential commodities, LPG prices and the implementation status of previous decisions.

A briefing by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) informed the meeting that headline inflation declined to 9.2 per cent in July 2026 from 11.1 per cent in the previous month, indicating continued easing in inflationary pressures.

The committee was informed that natural gas remained the largest contributor to inflation, while housing, wheat flour, fresh milk and petrol continued to exert upward pressure on prices. Lower prices of sugar, potatoes and chicken, however, helped moderate overall inflation.

Reviewing the inflation situation, Ahsan directed the relevant departments to closely monitor the principal drivers of inflation and recommend timely policy interventions to protect consumers.

He stressed that government attention should remain focused on commodities having the greatest impact on household budgets.

The committee also reviewed the latest Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) and discussed recent movements in the prices of essential commodities.

Expressing concern over significant wholesale-retail price disparities across various cities, the minister observed that consumers were often paying substantially different prices for the same commodities despite common sources of supply.

He directed provincial governments and district administrations to investigate the causes of such market distortions and propose measures to reduce wholesale-retail price gaps, improve market transparency and ensure the availability of essential commodities at fair prices.

The meeting also reviewed international price trends of major commodities, including crude oil, soybean oil, rice, wheat, sugar, fertilisers and urea, to assess their likely impact on domestic markets.

Ahsan reaffirmed that consumer protection, food quality assurance and price stability would remain among the government’s foremost priorities.