Peshawar, The collaborative efforts of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have culminated in the successful upgrade and operationalization of a meat testing laboratory in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, aimed at enhancing food safety standards.
According to United Nations Pakistan, the lab has been equipped with modern technologies such as Real-time PCR and BAX Systems, enabling swift and precise detection of food-borne pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes. This development is part of the Project for Agro-Food and Agro-Industry Development Assistance (PAFAID), which focuses on increasing food safety and compliance capacities in the province’s cattle meat and apple value chains.
At the inauguration, the Director General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority, Mr. Muhammad Wasif Saeed, highlighted the lab as the first in the province to integrate such advanced testing capabilities, significantly broadening its testing scope. Secretary Food KP, Mr. Zarif-ul-Mani, commended the significant public health benefits anticipated from the lab’s operation.
The PAFAID project, a four-year initiative funded by JICA and implemented by UNIDO, works closely with the Government of Pakistan to enhance agro-food safety and industry standards in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.