The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has brought together senior officials from provincial food authorities across Pakistan in the Federal Capital for a high-level workshop to enhance food regulatory practices in the country.
The three-day workshop, entitled “Designing and Operating Food Regulatory Functions,” gathered director generals, directors, and technical officials from all the provincial authorities, including Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Islamabad Food Authority.
Professor Samuel Godefroy, an expert in 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, delivered the sessions in the workshop from June 25 to 27, a UNIDO news release said on Friday.
The participants reviewed core food regulatory functions, focusing on best practices in managing food business operations to protect consumers and promote optimal food handling among local producers.The workshop highlighted the collaborative nature of food safety regulations and emphasized the importance of fostering compliance among food producers in Pakistan.
Through a SWOT analysis, the participants assessed their performance. They drafted recommendations to enhance food safety, including increased collaboration at federal, provincial, and territorial levels, enhanced food regulatory science capacity, and improved governance of food safety decision-making.
They reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a predictable, transparent, collaborative, and evidence-based food regulatory environment. They also emphasized the need for stronger collaboration with the food production sector and other stakeholders to ensure the improved standards of food safety across Pakistan.
“This workshop represents a significant step forward in strengthening Pakistan’s food regulatory framework, contributing to the protection of consumers and the advancement of best practices in food handling and safety,” the press release said.
