PESHAWAR: Commissioner Peshawar Division, Riaz Mehsud visited the newly established State-of-the-Art Provincial Food Testing Laboratory and Centre for Research set up by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety & Halal Food Authority in Hayatabad on Thursday.
During the visit, Director General of the Authority, Wasif Saeed, along with senior officials, briefed the Commissioner on the various components, scope, and capacity of the landmark facility. During the occasion, Director Administration Abdul Rehman, Director Operations Akhtar Nawaz, Director Technical Dr. Abdul Sattar Shah, Director Finance Zahir Mehmood, and DG PDA Shah Fahad were also present.
The DG explained that the facility is the first-of-its-kind in Pakistan, developed in line with ISO international standards. The laboratory houses eight specialised sections under one roof, including Microbiology, Food Chemistry (I & II), Advanced Analytical Testing, High-Tech Analytical, Water & Beverages, Dairy Testing, and a Specialised Analytical Capability Lab.
Saeed informed that the facility is capable of conducting 1,500 parameters of testing across more than 100 food items such as edible oils and ghee, tea, salt, beverages, spices, milk and milk powder, bakery products, chips and snacks, meat, pulses, honey, ketchup, jams, pickles, flour, yogurt, noodles, and other food commodities.
The laboratory is fitted with cutting-edge instruments, including Gas Chromatography (GC), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), ICP-OES, HPLC, UHPLC, FTIR, Milko Scan, and other specialised analysers. With these technologies, the lab can detect hazardous adulterants, toxic chemicals, artificial colours, bacterial contamination (such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria), nutritional values, fat and energy levels, as well as antibiotic residues in milk and meat. Moreover, the facility has the unique capability to scientifically identify meat sources and verify Halal authenticity, including the detection of prohibited meat such as pork, donkey, or dog meat.
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The DG further extended that samples can be submitted directly to the main laboratory in Peshawar or through the 22 district offices of the Food Authority across KP. “This facility is not only for the general public but will also serve as a scientific support system for institutions such as Public Health, Municipal Services, Agriculture, Livestock, and Environment departments,” he stated. He added that both public and private sector organisations, as well as food businesses from across Pakistan, can benefit from the testing services.
Speaking on the occasion, Commissioner Peshawar Division Riaz Mehsud lauded the establishment of the laboratory, terming it a landmark achievement for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “This facility will prove to be a milestone in ensuring the provision of safe and quality food to the people of the province. The efforts of the KP Food Authority in this regard are truly commendable,” he remarked.
