The local food giant also clarified their products conform to both internal and external quality certifications. CREATIVE COMMONS
At a time when companies are trying to cater to changing demand patterns, innovation is bound to happen and the government needs to realise it, said Engro Foods Chief Executive Officer Sarfaraz A Rehman, as he called for nationally applicable classifications for existing and waiting-to-be-launched dairy products.
In an interview with The Express Tribune, Rehman said the classifications would ensure that the industry and food regulatory authorities are on the same page.
His statements referred to the Punjab Food Authority’s (PFA) current regulation standard, which according to him, do not have a classification mechanism to regulate Dairy Omung, a product of Engro Foods — a subsidiary of Pakistan’s largest private-sector conglomerate Engro Corp.
The PFA, as reported by a section of the local media, banned the distribution and selling of Dairy Omung in Punjab on grounds that it contained sub-standard contents.
The company was quick to refute these reports and clarified that Dairy Omung was ‘not banned at all’. It, however, acknowledged that premises of their distributor in Lahore were sealed by PFA following which the company got a stay order from the Lahore High Court.
The local food giant also clarified their products conform to both internal and external quality certifications.
To say Omung has substandard content is incorrect, Rehman said. “We kept testing this product for years before its launch.
“Different products have different nutrition levels, some provide better digestion while others provide a better energy level. This does not mean one is superior, while the other is substandard.”
Dairy Omung’s nutritional values, the company clarified, have been verified by Eurofins, Hamburg –a leading international group of laboratories that provide a range of analytical testing services to the pharmaceutical, food, environmental and consumer product industries and the governments.
Sourced from pure milk base, Dairy Omung is an innovative and economical substitute for loose milk, the statement said. However, Punjab Pure Food Rules 2011 do not have any classification and defined standards for dairy liquid, it said.
What is more interesting, is that the PFA tells the company that Omung, as per PFA’s standards, is not milk – something the company readily agreed upon.
“It [PFA] said since there is no classification to declare Omung as milk, Engro can’t sell it as such.
“We agreed with them. We never called it milk in the first place — not on the label or in our ad campaigns. But, we need a classification not just for Omung but other new dairy products as well.”
Meanwhile, Rehman added that a company would be unable to launch a new product that is not covered under the existing classifications. “This is why there is a need for new regulation standards. But this needs to be made at a centralised level and not on a provincial basis.
“We can’t make four different products — it will be impossible logistically,” said the CEO, adding that each province has different volume requirements.
The company is in discussion with the PFA to present Dairy Omung to the Scientific Committee of PFA for review and subsequent formation of regulations and standards, the statement said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 23rd, 2013.
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COMMENTS (11)
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@uH: Sorry Sir / Madam but I tried replying to you TWICE but ET in its wisdom did not allow my reply although it was point wise, logical and completely harmless. ET : it a shame that you chose to do this to both my attempts at replying, which was my right.
@Parvez: So is there any other consumable item (food or otherwise), that has not witnessed a similar price trend? Had these so-called monopolies chosen not to increase their prices, then you would be criticizing their 'exploitation' of the farmer.
Please cut down on your daily overdose of talk shows (and probably PTI and JI populist rhetoric too) and abandon this self-defeating mindset that has taken hold of the populace's imagination.
Pakistan is the worlds 4th or may be 7th ( does not really matter ) largest milk producer. Being a user for many years I see that big names dominate ( monopoly syndrome ) and push the prices up e.g from Rs 45 / liter to now Rs 90, in a few years.........and this affects the unpackaged milk which has a much bigger share of the market. Just as there should be responsibility in standards, there should be responsibility in pricing and resultant profits.
@Asif: It's watered down milk. Milk is too expensive for poor people in Pakistan and the regulators are now creating problems for the one cheap alternative. They should have insisted the company make it clear in their marketing and packaging that this was not milk. It could have been done without being so heavy handed. But I guess in this country anything new that comes along is immediately banned until the people in charge get their cut.
Sarfraz sb., thank you for the feedback. My observation is not triggered from regulatory standards but missing quality standards, Halal, Kosher certifications in many Pakistani products that I read as less focus on International Market(ability).
Regulatory standards at national leval agreed by all provincial representations should help generate business efficiency.
In Lahore this is done just to protect the ANHAR milk the sharif brotherans business.
If Omung us not really milk, then what is it? And how can it be sold so cheap, cheaper than loose milk?
Thank you for your query. Halal and kosher certification has nothing to do with this. We are calling for a process for new products coming on the market and the regulatory authorities having a quick methodlogy to create new classifications at a national level.ie if Punjab makes a classification it is also recogniaed in Sindh ..KPK..Baluchistan etc.otherwise we end up having 4 regulatory processes or have to produce 4 different products. Economically its impossible to do that.
Does Halal and Kosher certifications sound relevant and add any value ?