KARACHI, Feb 23 (APP):Sindh Minister for Food, Makhdoom Mehboub uz Zaman on Monday chairing the 11th Board Meeting of the Sindh Food Authority (SFA) approved significant regulatory and institutional reforms to further strengthen food safety governance across the province.
The meeting was attended by Members of the Provincial Assembly including MPA Fayaz Ali Butt, MPA Sadia Javed, MPA Sikandar Ali Shoro, and MPA Hallar Wasan, along with the Secretaries of the Food, Health, Agriculture, and Livestock Departments, and Shahzad Fazal Abbasi Director General Sindh Food Authority, Dr Syed Muhammad Gufran Saeed of Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Karachi.
The presence of senior policymakers and administrative leadership reflected the Government of Sindh’s strong commitment to enhance food safety standards and public health protection.
During the meeting, large-scale reform measures were approved to modernize the regulatory framework and enhance enforcement capacity.
The Board decided to further strengthen statutory powers for the destruction of adulterated and unsafe food to ensure swift action against violators and protect consumers from hazardous food products.
The Minister informed the Board that from July 2025 to January 2026, a total of 47,875 inspections and improvement notices were issued across Sindh. These inspections covered restaurants, catering centers, milk and dairy units, food manufacturing facilities, water plants, meat shops, and general stores.
As a result of violations of food safety laws, 370 food outlets were sealed during this period.
Highlighting enforcement actions, the Minister stated that 92,000 liters of adulterated milk were confiscated and destroyed to safeguard public health.
He further informed that a total amount of Rs. 343,291,901 was collected under licensing fees and fines, reflecting the Authority’s strengthened enforcement and regulatory oversight mechanisms.
The Board granted in-principle approval for comprehensive amendments to the SFA Act, 2016, aimed at modernizing the legal framework governing food safety in the province.
These reforms are intended to enhance enforcement mechanisms, improve procedural clarity, and strengthen accountability within the regulatory system. To ensure greater transparency in the food supply chain, the Board approved the introduction of a Track & Trace system.
This system will enable electronic monitoring of food production and distribution, thereby improving traceability, preventing adulteration, and strengthening regulatory control.
The Board also approved procurement of essential equipment for the Central Food Testing Laboratory, Karachi, and two Mobile Food Testing Laboratories.
These upgrades will significantly enhance scientific testing capacity, field surveillance, and evidence-based enforcement across Sindh. In order to strengthen institutional capacity, the Board approved the creation of 235 new technical and non-technical posts within the Sindh Food Authority.
This decision is aimed at addressing staffing gaps, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring effective implementation of food safety regulations throughout the province.
In a major governance reform initiative, the Board decided that a third-party audit of the SFA will be conducted to further enhance transparency, accountability, and institutional performance evaluation.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Food Makhdoom Mehboub uz Zaman reiterated that the provision of safe and quality food to the public remains the foremost priority of the Government of Sindh.
He emphasized that the food safety system in Sindh is being further strengthened through legal reforms, technological integration, laboratory modernization, and strict enforcement measures.