Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA) and several other public health advocates have expressed serious concern over the proposed reconstitution of food standards development committees under the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), particularly at a time when critical decisions affecting food safety, nutrition, and public health are under consideration.
The agenda for the 48th meeting of the National Standards Committee on Agriculture and Food (NSCAF), scheduled for October 12, 2026, includes a proposal to reconstitute technical committees. The meeting is also expected to address critical issues, including revisions to food labelling and nutrition standards, food additives, vitamin D fortification, tobacco products, and the future of Front-of-Pack Warning Labelling (FOPWL), among other matters.
“The proposed reconstitution raises serious concerns about the side-lining of public health experts and civil society representatives. The proposed committee composition appears to favour the food and beverage industry and its front groups, raising concerns that critical public health policies could be undermined or delayed,” said Areebah Shahid, Executive Director of PYCA.
“The exclusion of public health experts and credible civil society representatives' risks creating an imbalance in a process that must remain transparent, inclusive, and firmly grounded in the public interest.”PYCA also called for strengthening current mechanisms to safeguard the integrity and independence of Pakistan’s standard-setting processes, free from the influence of the food and beverage industry.
“PYCA is particularly concerned that the proposed reconstitution of technical committees could undermine the integrity of Pakistan’s standard-setting processes by limiting meaningful participation from independent public health experts and civil society organizations,” said Afshar Iqbal, Director of Communications and Advocacy at PYCA.
The organization urged PSQCA to eliminate or minimize conflict of interest risks and ensure a transparent and inclusive reconstitution process, with meaningful representation of independent public health experts, credible civil society organizations with relevant expertise as consumer advocates who can independently represent the public interest.
“Food standards should protect people first,” Shahid added. “The food industry and its front groups must not be allowed to drive governance structures and dominate technical discussions to safeguard their commercial interests at the expense of public health and consumers’ welfare.”
PYCA urges PSQCA and NSCAF to reconsider the proposed committee composition, address concerns over the exclusion of credible civil society representatives and ensure balanced and meaningful participation by all relevant stakeholders. Independent public health experts, consumer advocates, and civil society organizations must have a permanent seat at the table to ensure that food standards are evidence-based, transparent, and designed to protect public health rather than serve commercial interests. Moreover, PSQCA must strengthen its due diligence and conflict of interest mechanisms to prevent front groups of industry from participation in the standards developing process, while wrongfully claiming to be protecting public or consumer interests.