48% ghee samples fail quality test
About 48% of total vanaspati ghee samples collected from markets, 75% of refined palm oil and 44% packaged milk were found substandard and could cause serious heart diseases among the people, according to alarming findings released by the government on Friday.
The findings, which the Ministry of Planning officially released, were based on 491 samples of vanaspati ghee, edible oil and packaged milk collected from across the country. These samples were tested in the laboratory of the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR). The Planning Ministry announced that out of these, "176 samples failed to meet the required specifications, indicating a non-conformance rate of approximately 36%".
These findings were shared in a meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC), which reviewed food quality standards and price trends of essential commodities. Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal chaired the meeting.
The laboratory assessment, carried out on the directions of the planning minister, presented before the committee revealed significant concerns regarding the quality of packaged food products available in the market.
The official statement noted that a total of 491 samples of packaged edible oil, ghee and milk products were collected and tested by PCSIR, with the consolidated findings submitted by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). Of these, 315 samples were found conforming to the prescribed national quality standards.
The report showed that 98 out of 204 banaspati ghee samples, which was 48% of the total samples, failed to conform to the prescribed standards. Likewise, 40 out of 146 blended cooking oil samples or 27% and one-fourth or 26 out of 104 packaged liquid milk samples did not meet the quality standards.
The planning ministry said that 8 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 conform to the prescribed standards.
The findings underscore concerns about the availability of low-quality food in the markets and failure of food regulatory authorities to check adulteration.
The assessment report was presented by the Ministry of Science and Technology through Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), with the consolidated findings prepared by PSQCA.
The planning ministry said that Iqbal took a serious note of growing public concerns over the increasing incidents of cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable illnesses, particularly among younger Pakistanis.
He directed all provincial governments, regional administrations and relevant regulatory authorities to also undertake a comprehensive nationwide survey of the quality of loose unpackaged edible oil, ghee and milk being sold across the country.
The minister said the survey would scientifically assess the quality of these widely consumed food items, identify regional trends and determine whether substandard products are posing risks to public health.
According to one sample report, as against the minimum requirement of 3.5, there was only 0.8% milk fat. The samples of leading multinational packaged milk producing companies were found to be in line with standards but there were quality issues in case of relatively unknown local brands.
Iqbal observed that food quality has become a matter of national importance and stressed that the government has a responsibility to ensure that citizens have 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," the minister remarked, emphasising that public health remains at the centre of economic and regulatory policymaking.
To ensure a thorough scientific evaluation of the findings, the planning minister constituted a specialised technical sub-committee comprising experts from the Ministry of Planning, PCSIR and PSQCA. The sub-committee will critically analyse the laboratory findings and submit evidence-based recommendations to the committee for appropriate regulatory and policy action.
Iqbal directed that the next phase of the exercise should focus on the quality assessment of loose edible oil, ghee and milk, which were not included in the laboratory testing of packaged products. He instructed all provincial governments, regional administrations and relevant authorities to undertake a comprehensive nationwide survey of these loose food items, identify regional patterns of quality, determine the causes of quality deficiencies and recommend practical measures to strengthen food safety standards, regulatory oversight and consumer protection.
A detailed briefing by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics informed the committee that headline inflation declined to 9.2% in July 2026.
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. Conversely, lower prices of sugar, potatoes and chicken helped moderate overall inflation.
The committee also expressed concern over the significant wholesale-retail price differences observed across various cities. The minister directed provincial governments and district administrations to investigate the factors contributing to these market distortions and propose practical measures to reduce wholesale-retail price gaps, improve market transparency and ensure that essential commodities are available to consumers at fair prices.