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KARACHI: Approximately 30 per cent of edible oil consumed in Pakistan annually — more than 4.5 million tonnes — comprises unbranded, loose oil, primarily found in semi-urban and rural areas. In these regions, affordability often outweighs concerns about the oil’s quality, exposing millions to significant health risks.

The loose oil, typically sold in bulk without proper packaging or labelling, often contains harmful chemicals, impurities, and biological contaminants. These pose serious health threats, including cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and brain disorders, experts warn.

This issue was highlighted during a recent consultative meeting on edible oil regularisation, organised by Nutrition International (NI), a Canadian organisation. Mueen Qureshi, a representative from NI, noted that between 40pc and 45pc of Pakistan’s low-income population relies on this informal sector for their oil supply.

Dr Hasan Orooj, NI’s Technical Consultant, pointed out that Sindh is home to 33 loose oil mills, with the majority located in Karachi, followed by Hyderabad and Sukkur. Balochistan, on the other hand, has only two mills, relying heavily on oil from Sindh, with smuggled Iranian oil also finding its way into the local market.

Consensus has been reached to bring the sale of loose edible oil into a regulatory framework, requiring sealed packaging, licencing and traceability

Dr Orooj emphasised that Iranian oil is 100pc fit for consumption, whereas samples from Sindh and Punjab have failed health tests.

Pakistan ranks as the eighth-largest consumer of edible oil globally, with per capita consumption at 22 kg annually. While branded oils undergo rigorous refining processes, including filtration, deodorisation, and neutralisation, loose oil is often produced without such safeguards. It is commonly stored in unsterilised containers and transported under unsanitary conditions, making it highly prone to contamination and oxidation.

The price difference between loose and branded oil is considerable. Loose oil, which lacks essential vitamins A and D, costs between Rs1,000 and Rs1,500 for a 5-litre container, while branded oil is priced around Rs2,700 for the same quantity.

However, the quality of loose oil is compromised due to high levels of trans fats, oxidised lipids, and other toxic compounds formed during improper processing. Trans fats, known for raising bad cholesterol (LDL) while lowering good cholesterol (HDL), significantly increase the risk of heart disease. Additionally, the common practice of reheating oil, particularly in Pakistani and South Asian cooking, further degrades its quality, producing carcinogenic substances like acrylamide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Dr Orooj explained that proper refining processes remove free fatty acids, eliminate gums, and neutralise unpleasant odours, ensuring the oil is safe for consumption. In contrast, unrefined oils retain higher levels of pesticides and aflatoxins, both of which are linked to liver damage and cancer.

Regulating edible oil sector

He also pointed to successful regulatory transitions in India and other Asian nations, where informal oil markets were brought into formal regulatory frameworks through government intervention. As part of the proposed solution, Dr Orooj called for the establishment of a “Regularisation Compliance Committee” (RCC) to oversee the registration and regulation of loose oil vendors.

The committee, which would include representatives from SFA, Nutrition International, Karachi University, and other bodies, would oversee the completion of the necessary legal and safety requirements.

Dr Seema Ashraf of the Sindh Food Authority (SFA) noted that while over 54 PSQCA standards exist for various edible oils, Codex standards specific to cold-pressed and expressed oils (e.g., mustard, sesame, sunflower) are yet to be adopted. She urged the implementation of these standards or the development of provincial regulations to fill the gap.

Mr Farhan, Chairman of the Karachi Edible Oil Association (KEOA), acknowledged the health risks associated with loose oil but emphasised the sector’s importance in supporting millions of consumers and livelihoods. He suggested that a formal licensing and registration system be introduced, allowing small producers to comply with safety and quality benchmarks.

A consensus emerged at the meeting, with stakeholders agreeing that all edible oils should be sold in sealed, labelled packaging with traceable batch numbers. Loose oil, under current regulations, should be considered non-edible, and vendors must adhere to standards set by PSQCA or Codex Alimentarius. In addition, licensing and registration should apply to wholesalers, distributors, and small-scale processors, and the sale of unbranded oils should be phased out through a clear regulatory framework.

Dr S. M. Ghufran Saeed, from the University of Karachi’s Department of Food Science and Technology, raised concerns about the lack of traceability and labelling of loose oils, which often leads to adulteration with hazardous substances, such as recycled frying oils or even industrial-grade fats.

He recommended a complete ban on the commercial sale of loose oils, which currently operates in a regulatory grey area, and called for a nationwide enforcement of formal licensing procedures.

Dr Umar Mukhtar Tarar from PCSIR Karachi proposed categorising stakeholders into distinct regulatory groups, each requiring tailored measures. He stressed the importance of monitoring inter-provincial trade and the movement of substandard oils through joint inspection teams.

Ms Farah Athar from the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) recommended that the sale of loose oils be banned by the SFA after a three-month transition period, with small vendors allowed to continue operating under regulated conditions. She also called for mandatory labelling requirements to ensure compliance with national food safety standards.

Dr Ahmed Ali Sheikh, representing the Sindh Food Authority, concluded that the government is committed to regulating the loose oil sector and is prepared to support sellers through the registration and regularisation process.

As Pakistan grapples with the health and economic implications of loose edible oils, the need for urgent reform is clear. The collective efforts of regulators, academics, and industry representatives are crucial to safeguarding public health and ensuring that the edible oil sector transitions into a more formal, regulated framework.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2025

The puerile standoff between the US and Russia ought to alert a slumbering public to a risk that is in many ways greater than during the cold war

Nuclear weapons – their lethal menace, dark history and future spread – are back in the headlines again and, as usual, the news is worrying, bordering on desperate. Russia’s decision last week to formally abandon the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty banning medium- and short-range nuclear missiles completes the demolition of a key pillar of global arms control. It will accelerate an already frantic nuclear arms race in Europe and Asia at a moment when US and Russian leaders are taunting each other like schoolboys.

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, has repeatedly threatened the west with nuclear weapons during his war in Ukraine. Last November, Russian forces fired their new Oreshnik hypersonic, nuclear-capable intermediate-range missile at Dnipro. It travels “like a meteorite” at 10 times the speed of sound and can reach any city in Europe, Putin boasted – which, if true, is a clear INF violation. Moscow blames its decision to ditch the treaty on hostile Nato actions. Yet it has long bypassed it in practice, notably by basing missiles in Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave on the Baltic sea, and Belarus.

Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator

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These days it’s not enough to disagree with opponents – it seems we have to accuse them of being con artists too

Our world is full of grifters. Or so it seems, considering how often that word is thrown around in public life these days.

This year alone, Zarah Sultana, the former Labour MP and founder of a new left party with Jeremy Corbyn, called the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, a “billionaire-backed grifter” (perhaps borrowing from the language of Coutts staff who referred to him as a “disingenuous grifter” when his bank account was closed two years ago). Sultana, in turn, was accused of being a “grifter” duping “honest socialists” by the journalist Paul Mason.

Anoosh Chakelian is Britain editor of the New Statesman

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A tense phone call on the ceasefire between Pakistan and India became the basis for the current breakdown in relations between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported on Friday.

Trump on Wednesday imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations after trade talks reached a deadlock. The new import tax, set to come into place in three weeks, will raise duties on some Indian exports to as high as 50pc — among the highest levied on any US trading partner.

While the rupture in US-India ties was abrupt, there have been strains in the relationship. Delhi has repeatedly rebutted Trump’s repeated statements that the US brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after four days of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May. Trump also hosted Pakistan’s army chief at the White House in the weeks following the conflict.

The two leaders spoke over the phone at the insistence of Trump on the sidelines of June’s G7 summit in Canada, which Modi attended as a guest. The call lasted 35 minutes.

“PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-US trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had said of the talk. “Talks for ceasing military action happened directly between India and Pakistan through existing military channels, and on the insistence of Pakistan. Prime Minister Modi emphasised that India has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do,” he said.

Bloomberg reported today that “tensions came to a head” between the two leaders in the call with Trump’s repeated claiming of credit and India’s downplaying of the matter.

“Modi felt like he needed to set the record straight in the call after his aides discovered that Trump planned to host a lunch the following day at the White House for Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir,” the report cited officials in New Delhi familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to speak about confidential discussions.

“While India had no problem if Trump met Pakistan’s civilian leaders, hosting Munir was seen as giving legitimacy to a military that Modi’s government accuses of supporting militant groups, they said. Wary that Trump would look to orchestrate a meeting between Munir and Modi, the Indian leader turned down an invitation to stop by the White House on the way back from Canada, they said, adding that he was also committed to visiting Croatia,” the report said.

It added that since the phone call, “India saw a shift in tone from the White House after that phone call, according to the officials in New Delhi” despite the US not making a direct request for Modi to acknowledge Trump’s role.

“Once Trump began publicly attacking India, they added, it was clear the episode marked a turning point in the broader relationship,” the report said.

Modi said a day ago he would not compromise on the agriculture sector.

For New Delhi, one of the main sticking points in trade negotiations has been Washington’s demand to access India’s vast agricultural and dairy market. India has remained steadfast about its labour-intensive agricultural sector, unwilling to risk angering farmers, a powerful voting bloc.

“We will not compromise with the interests of our farmers, our dairy sector, our fishermen,” Modi said during a speech at a conference in New Delhi, his remarks widely seen as his first public response to the tariffs.

“I know I will have to pay a personal price for this, but I am ready for it,” he added, without giving further details.

In February, Trump said that he found a “special bond” with Modi when he visited Washington — complimenting Modi as being a “much tougher negotiator” than he was.

Successive US administrations have seen India — the world’s most populous nation and fifth-largest economy — as a key partner, with like-minded interests in the face of powerful China.

India and neighbouring China have long been intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia.

Now, India is bracing for a bumpy ride, as the US is its largest trading partner, with New Delhi shipping goods worth $87.4 billion in 2024.