DLP Report
PESHAWAR
A high-level technical consultative meeting on the mitigation of industrially produced trans fatty acids was held at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety & Halal Food Authority (KPFS&HFA).
The meeting was chaired by Director General Muhammad Wasif Saeed and attended by a distinguished delegation from the University of Karachi’s Department of Food Science & Technology.
The delegation included Chairman Dr. M. Abdul Haq, Associate Professor Dr. S. M. Ghufran Saeed,Assistant Professor Dr. Syed Arsalan Ali of Iqra University and Dr. Seema Ashraf, Sindh Food Authority
The experts delivered a comprehensive presentation outlining the public health risks associated with iTFAs and proposed practical, industry-oriented mitigation strategies for edible oil and fat processors. They emphasized the need for strong regulatory oversight, improved industry compliance, and enhanced consumer awareness to curb iTFA exposure nationwide.
DG Wasif Saeed appreciated the initiative and briefed the delegation on major reforms underway at the Authority, including:Real-time digital field monitoring and enforcement dashboards,The forthcoming 15-year Food and Health Disease Burden Baseline Study, Strengthened regulatory inspection frameworks, Expansion of high-tech laboratory infrastructure, Enhanced risk-based and compliance-based enforcement supported by Mobile Food Testing Laboratories
He noted that these initiatives represent the Authority’s continued efforts to modernize anf ensure food safety governance, strengthen surveillance systems, and align provincial operations with international best practices.
The delegation later visited the Provincial Food Testing Laboratory & Centre for Research, where Director Technical Dr. Syed Abdul Sattar Shah, Deputy Director Lab Rahmul Aziz, and the laboratory team briefed them on expanded analytical capabilities, modern instrumentation, automated workflows, and strengthened quality assurance mechanisms.
The delegates lauded the Authority’s integrated digitization reforms, robust enforcement systems, deployment of advanced analytical technologies, risk-based inspection models, effective use of mobile laboratories, and the establishment of a state-of-the-art provincial testing and research complex.
The meeting concluded with a joint commitment to deepen technical cooperation, strengthen research linkages, and advance nationwide iTFA reduction efforts through collaborative capacity-building and scientific exchange.
