Celebrating the International Taste and Quality Institute Brussels Award 2010 for 14 of the company’s products, Sultan asserted that Shan Foods is a brand ambassador of Pakistan with presence in over 60 countries of the world.
Meanwhile, at home it is at loggerheads with the PSQCA.
“We have superior quality and taste standards that are being recognised all over the world. Our problem with PSQCA is that they don’t have enough expertise to certify our products,” responded the CEO to a question regarding local certification.
PSQCA recently raided a budget bazaar in Karachi and sealed various non-licensed products including merchandise manufactured by Shan Foods.
Sultan claimed that such raids are usually motivated by vested interests and if the certification body had reservations over products they could have gone to the factory directly rather than raiding small bazaars.
“The question is not about product quality. It is whether Shan Foods has procured the license or not?” countered Rehmatullah Memon, the PSQCA spokesperson. He explained that Shan Foods is violating the law by selling its products in Pakistan without having the PSQCA licence.
He added that all products being sold in the local markets without a PSQCA licence are illegal, according to the laws governing the country.
After the raids on budget bazaar, Shan Foods applied for the licence which is being processed according to the PSQCA Act of 1996.
Meanwhile, the company has announced plans of setting up a factory in Sundar Industrial Area. Internationally, Shan Foods is going to set up a plant in the United Arab Emirates and is negotiating with Hamdard Laboratories, India about the possibility of a joint venture.
“It is a false perception that India is the world leader in spices. It is Pakistan that rules the market of world spices,” Sultan declared.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 11th, 2010.
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