Friday,7 June 2019
Date of issue: 7 June 2019
Date of effect: 1 July 2019
Reference Number: MAA2019-03
Attention:
Industries—Industry bodies – Australian Food and Grocery Council, Australian Honey Bee Industry Council
Department of Agriculture—Central and Regional offices
State Regulatory Authorities
Purpose
To notify exporters of food and beverage products to Pakistan, of new shelf life, labelling and certification requirements effective from 1 July 2019.
Summary of key points
- Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce and Textile has confirmed that as of 1 July 2019, foods imported into Pakistan must meet new requirements stipulated in Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) 237 of 19 February 2019.
- The department has received some clarification from the Ministry of Commerce and Textile on the requirements associated with SRO 237 including:
- The requirements apply to all food and beverage products.
- Labelling of nutritional values and usage instructions must appear in Urdu and English.
- Labelling must be printed directly on consumer packaging. Stickering, overprinting, stamping or scratching of labels in market is not permitted.
- Products must have two-thirds of the shelf-life remaining on the date of import.
- Products requiring halal certification must be issued by a member of either the International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) or Standards Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC).
- The department strongly recommends that exporters work with their importers to ensure products meet Pakistan’s import requirements under SRO 237 of 19 February 2019.
- The department continues to seek clarification on several aspects of the requirements and will provide further information once available.
- The Manual of Importing Country Requirements (MICoR) will be updated to reflect the new requirements.
Further information
Contact Exports if you have any queries.
The information provided in this advice is current at the time of writing and is intended for use as guidance only and should not be taken as definitive or exhaustive. The Commonwealth endeavours to keep information current and accurate, however, it may be subject to change without notice. Exporters are encouraged to verify these details with their importers prior to undertaking production/exports. The Commonwealth will not accept liability for any loss resulting from reliance on information contained in this notice.