42.2% pops, 33.3% nimco samples found substandard

PESHAWAR:

Over 46.2% samples of pops, 33.3% of nimco items have turned out to be substandard in laboratory tests in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

The K-P Food Safety and Halal Food Authority has concluded a two-week-long testing campaign aimed at evaluating the quality of pops, chips, and spices for the first time in the in the history of the province.

During the campaign, 462 samples were obtained from various factories across the province and subjected to detailed analysis.

According to the details released by the authority's spokesperson, the samples included 175 of pops, 24 of nimco, 160 of seasoning powder, and 103 of curry powder items.

Out of the 175 samples of pops, 93 were reported satisfactory, while 82 were found to be substandard. For nimco, 16 out of 24 samples met the quality standards, while eight failed.

Similarly, out of 160 seasoning powder samples, 131 proved satisfactory, and 29 turned out to be substandard. For curry powder, 74 out of 103 samples were in compliance with food safety standards, while 29 failed to meet the required standards.

The details further unveiled that 46.2% samples of pops, 33.3% of nimco, 18.1% of seasoning powder, and 28.1% of curry powder samplings were declared as substandard.

The testing drive was carried out on the parameters such as moisture content, free fatty acids, total ash, peroxide value, packaging thickness, and aflatoxin levels.

The testing was conducted using advanced equipment, including ELISA readers, proximate NIR, muffle furnaces, and digital screw gauges.

Wasif Saeed, Director General of the Food Safety Authority stated that the purpose of the campaign was to assess and ensure the quality of pops, chips, and the spices used in their preparation available in the market.