ISLAMABAD: In a major step aimed at improving food safety standards and curbing the use of hazardous packaging materials, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has directed flour mills across the country to immediately stop using substandard and unregistered woven sacks for flour packaging following a landmark judgment of the Islamabad High Court.
According to an official notification issued on May 13, 2026, the directive has been enforced in pursuance of the judgment of the Honorable Islamabad High Court in Writ Petition No. 1801/2020 dated February 4, 2026. The notification declared that the use of non-compliant packaging materials compromises hygiene standards and poses serious risks to public health.
The notification stated: “All flour mill owners and operators are hereby directed that the use of substandard, non-compliant, or unregistered woven sacks for flour packaging stands strictly prohibited with immediate effect.”
It further directed all flour mill operators, processors, distributors, and associated entities to stop procuring, utilizing, or distributing any packaging material that does not conform to national standards prescribed by PSQCA.
Under the new instructions, flour mills will now be required to exclusively use PSQCA-certified flour bags during packaging, storage, transportation, and retail sale of flour products. The notification emphasized that compliance with the directive is “non-negotiable.”
Regulatory authorities have also been tasked with conducting strict inspections and surveillance of flour mills, storage facilities, and distribution points to ensure implementation of the order. The management of each flour mill will be held responsible for ensuring compliance, while violations may result in legal action, penalties, and other enforcement measures under relevant laws.
The move is being viewed as a significant development in Pakistan’s food safety regime, particularly in the flour sector where concerns have long been raised over the use of recycled and hazardous materials in woven sacks used for packaging wheat flour.
Sources told The Newsman that the office of Director General at PSQCA had remained vacant for years, affecting institutional performance and enforcement capacity. However, insiders said the current Director General, Dr. Syeda Zia Batool, has been making efforts to restore the credibility of the authority and revive implementation of long-ignored standards.
According to sources, lower-level officials had allegedly misled the DG by arguing that wheat flour was a provincial subject, which resulted in delays in implementing PSQCA’s own gazetted notification for nearly a decade despite repeated concerns raised by stakeholders and industry representatives.
Industry circles believe the delayed implementation caused enormous financial and public health losses due to the unchecked use of low-quality and potentially hazardous packaging materials in the flour supply chain.
Chairman of the Pakistan Polypropylene Woven Sacks Manufacturers Association, Iskander Khan, who had persistently pursued the matter for years, welcomed the implementation of the court order and appreciated the efforts of Dr. Syeda Zia Batool for taking personal interest in enforcing both the court verdict and PSQCA’s gazetted notification.
He said the initiative would help save millions of tons of flour from contamination and ensure that food items are not packaged in hazardous bags manufactured from dangerous and recycled materials unsuitable for food-grade usage.
Iskander Khan further demanded that the Federal Investigation Agency conduct an inquiry against officials responsible for delaying implementation of the notification, alleging that the negligence had caused losses worth hundreds of billions of rupees to consumers and the national economy.
Observers say the enforcement of certified packaging standards could bring long-awaited reforms in Pakistan’s flour industry by improving food safety, strengthening regulatory oversight, and protecting consumers from exposure to unsafe packaging materials.