FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Limited, in collaboration with the Department of Food & Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab (UCP), successfully organised a high-impact engagement to commemorate World Milk Day and Food Safety Day 2026 at UCP Lahore under the theme “Strengthening Dairy Food Safety in Pakistan: Preventing Foodborne Risks and Ensuring Nutrition for all”.
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Opening the event, Dr Kanza Aziz Awan, Head of Department, UCP, highlighted the shared responsibility across sectors: “Ensuring safe and nutritious food is not just a scientific challenge but a societal responsibility. Platforms like this bring together stakeholders to collectively address Pakistan’s nutrition and food safety gaps.”
The dialogue underscored that formalisation of the dairy sector is essential to strengthening national nutrition systems. Structured supply chains and regulated processing enable the elimination of contamination and food safety risks, delivery of consistent and high-quality nutrition, and an increased consumer confidence in dairy consumption.
Representing industry, Dr Muhammad Aamir Iqbal, Head of Regulatory Affairs, FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan, emphasised the role of packaged dairy: “At FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan, we firmly believe that it’s not food if it’s not safe. Safe, packaged milk ensures quality, consistency, and nutritional integrity at scale – making it a critical pillar of Pakistan’s food security and nutrition agenda.”
Chief Guest Ms Salma Butt, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Punjab, and Mr Munir Hussain Chopra, Director, Punjab Food Authority (PFA), reinforced the importance of policy alignment in nutritional sciences, and ensuring steady progress in combating adulteration and unsafe food practices.
A key focus area of the engagement was addressing persistent misconceptions surrounding packaged milk. Despite being the world’s fourth largest milk producer, 92% of Pakistan’s milk market currently comprises of loose, unregulated, adulterated milk. In a country plagued by pediatric wasting and stunting, with roughly 40% (10 million) of children under five being stunted and acute malnutrition impacting over 2.7 million children, it is more important than ever to build public trust for packaged, treated milk, and create awareness regarding the hazards of open market milk supplies.
The event concluded with policy recommendations and recognition of participants, reaffirming the urgency of strengthening safe dairy systems as a pathway to improved nutrition outcomes in Pakistan.