Report Finds Adulterated Food Sold in Pakistan

The Pakistani Government has expressed concerned about a report that found the public was being sold 70% adulterated food and 52% adulterated mineral water.

The Pakistan Ministry of Science and Technology study found 35% microbiological contamination in bottled water while 1kg of pure milk was found to be mixed with 39kg of contaminated milk consisting of urea, bleaching powder and other chemicals.

Pakistan’s Council of Research in Water Resources said of the 63 mineral water brands, 33 were found unsafe due to chemical and microbiological contamination.

Of the unsafe mineral water brands, 14 have excessive concentrations of arsenic, potassium, sodium, and fluoride, while the remainder were microbiologically contaminated.

Around 40% of the prevalent diseases in the country are water borne, causing 20-40% of hospitalisations, according to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights.