Addressing the Food Safety Gaps and Challenges of Consumer Health and Agricultural Export in Pakistan

Globally, food safety has prime importance for the public health and well being of consumers. In Pakistan, high pesticide residues, presence of aflatoxins, heavy metals, and microbial contamination of food are pressing issues of food safety. The current food safety administration in Pakistan lacks national level legislations, and is unorganized with its weak coordination among the controlling agencies and haphazard monitoring and inspection systems. These flaws are undermining the international trade and affecting the health of domestic as well as global consumers. In view of these, this research was undertaken to assess the various components of the current system for food safety administration, identify the shortcomings and implications of the existing food safety administration systems, and develop recommendations for its improvement. In this regard, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis of the food safety administration system of Pakistan has been conducted. Important recommendations have been made to improve the food safety system and protect the public health of the consumers. Enacting new national-level legislations, establishing a central control agency at national level, developing a rapid alert system, and timely intimation of food safety incidents, could be the effective remedies to the problems in the food safety administration system of Pakistan.