ISLAMABAD: None practicing of food grade polypropylene sacks for packing of wheat flour is costing Rs 38 billion per annum and even after incurring accumulative loss of hundreds of billions none of the government departments is coming forward to discourage use of non-food sacks for this purpose , a Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) report said.
In Pakistan, the millers use non-good grade sacks which are not only unhygienic and a cause of many serious diseases like cancer, but also a source of loss of billions of rupees to this poor country.
Knowing well that use of substandard non-food grade sacks for packing of wheat flour is dangerous and a cause of loss of billions of rupees every year, the millers are continuing with this exercise for years. In fact by using non food grade sacks, the flour millers are not behaving like responsible corporate citizens flour.
On one hand, millions of poor in this country are finding it difficult to have wheat flour to cook food for their families on day- to day and on the other the waste of flour to the tune of tonnes is going un-noticed.
The government departments ,which were supposed to ensure use of food grade polypropylene sack for packing of wheat flour are totally lethargic in their approach towards this issue. Their inaction is indicative of the fact that they are not ready to counter to the mafia preferring use of substandard sacks over food grade sacks for packing of wheat flour.
PSQCA a prime agency meant to ensure use of quality sacking of wheat flour is also not arising to the occasion. For years its looking towards provinces for implementation of its mandatory SRO PS 3128 issued in 2017 is yet to be implemented despite lapse of three years.
After wait of years and disappointing response of government departments, Pakistan Polypropylene Woven Sack Manufacturers Association (PWSMA) has now taken- up the issue with Prime Minister, Imran Khan, through a letter and demanded him to take action against those departments, which were not taking practical step to stop use of non-food grade sacks in packing of wheat flour ,resulting in waste of costly flour and hence loss of billions to Pakistan every year.
PWSMA chairman, Iskander Khan, said the use of non-food grade sacks is continuing for years in Pakistan and its un deniable fact that this practice is resulting in leakage of around half a kg wheat flour from a 20 kg bag in loading, unloading and handling of wheat flour.
The letter further said PSQCA issued a mandatory SRO no PS: 4877 to make mandatory for the millers to use food grade polypropylene sacks but it is not being implemented to stop loss of wheat flour.
When contacted for comments, PSQCA spokesman, Ali Bux, said implementation of SRO PS 3128 is responsibility of the provinces as it does not fall in the ambit of PSQCA and unfortunately provincial governments have not taken this important issue. He, however, hoped something better as far as PSQCA authority is concerned saying the ministry of Science and Technology has forwarded the case to the federal cabinet for approval to authorize the authority to implement its SROs for ensuring sue of food grade polypropylene sacking for wheat four.
