ISLAMABAD: Despite repeated appeals and a standing government notification, Pakistan continues to lose hundreds of billions of rupees worth of wheat flour (atta) annually due to the use of substandard packaging, according to letters sent by the Pakistan Polypropylene Woven Sack Manufacturers Association (PPWSMA) to top federal officials.
In its latest correspondence dated June 16, 2025, addressed to Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, the association reiterated its demand for the immediate implementation of a mandatory Gazetted Notification S.R.O. 46(KE)/2017, issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology on May 19, 2017. This notification requires the use of food-grade, environment-friendly, recyclable polypropylene sacks for wheat flour packaging.
However, despite being in effect for eight years, the directive remains largely unimplemented, leading to the loss of wheat flour worth approximately Rs594 billion since 2017, according to data compiled by the association. The group warns that if the notification remains ignored, a further Rs67.2 billion worth of flour could be lost in 2025–26 alone.
In a letter dated May 21, 2025, to the Federal Minister, the association noted that around 11 million people in Pakistan are already facing acute food insecurity, citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The continued wastage of flour due to “dusting” and seepage from low-grade, non-food-safe sacks is further aggravating the crisis, especially for households for whom a single roti with onions or chilies may be the only daily meal.
The association’s chairman, Iskander M. Khan, emphasized that the financial loss is not just a number, but translates to massive resource waste. He shared data showing that the 5% flour lost due to substandard sacks amounts to 896,000 tons, requiring over 750,000 acres of cultivated land and consuming more than 1 billion cubic feet of water all gone to waste.
In another letter addressed to Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, dated June 2, 2025, Khan wrote, “It is extremely unfortunate that to date, the said S.R.O. has not been implemented. As a result, the country has lost Atta valuing approx. Rs594 billion since 2017.”
The association also shared a comparative price analysis of food-grade vs. non-food-grade sacks. Despite the small difference in cost around Rs8.27 more per 20kg sack and Rs6.99 for a 10kg sack the savings in preserved flour are far greater. According to their data, Rs75 worth of atta is saved per 20kg sack and Rs37.50 per 10kg sack when using food-grade packaging, making the use of such materials not just a regulatory obligation but an economic necessity.
Beyond financial losses, the association raised serious health concerns. It claimed that many non-food-grade sacks are produced using hospital waste, used white batteries, and other contaminated plastic, which pose grave health risks to consumers.
Despite the magnitude of the issue, the government’s silence and inaction on implementing the already existing S.R.O. has baffled industry observers. The association argues that the policy was established with the goal of long-term sustainability and public safety, yet enforcement remains absent even in the face of food insecurity affecting millions.
Chairman of the association concluded his appeal by stating: “The non-food grade sacks deprive our people of their staple food, roti, and are one of the factors behind the growing hunger crisis. We earnestly urge the government to ensure strict enforcement of S.R.O. 46(KE)/2017 without any further delay.”
