Pakistan Issues New Requirements for Food Labels

Pakistan is changing regulations surrounding food labels, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a March 7 report. The regulatory order, which was issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce and took effect Feb. 19, requires label information to include “a minimum 66% shelf life at the time of clearance of goods” and “labeling of nutritional values and usage instructions in Urdu and English,” according to the report. The new regulations also requires “the Halal Certificate issuing authority to be a member of either IHAF [International Halal Accreditation Forum] or SMIIC [Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries].”