National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority Act - Short title, extent and commencement

Oct 6, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana

Act text establishing the National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority and related matters. Includes statutory preamble on regulating quality of agricultural produce, plants and animals used as food or feed for export and import, and framing standards aligned with recognized SPS measures. Provides Chapter 1—Preliminary with short title, territorial extent for Pakistan, commencement, and detailed definitions covering agricultural products, animals, authority, business operators, certificates, crops, disease, export and import, food and exclusions, and key health and plant protection concepts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages62

Reading Time2 h 36 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter 1: Preliminary

Short title, extent and commencement

Definitions

AsINTRODUCED IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY A BILL to establish National Food Safety,Animal and Plant HealthRegulatory Authority and the matters connected therewith WHEREAS,it is obligatory to regulate the quality aspects of agricultural produce,plants and animals,and products based thereon used as food,feed or otherwise being exportedto or imported from,other countries and to frame standards to meet national and internationalquality requirements in accordance with the recognized SPS measures and to promoteinternational trade thereof on competitive basis in the light of domestic needs andinternational commitments; It is hereby enacted as follows:- # CHAPTER-1PRELIMINARY 1. Short title,extent and commencement.-(1)This Act may be called the NationalFood Safety,Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority Act,202 (2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan. (3) It shall come into force at once. 2. Definitions.-In this Act,unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,- (i) "agricultural product"includes all produce of agriculture or horticulture,forestwildlife,fisheries,animals and plants and all articles of food or drink wholly orpartly manufactured from any such produce,and fleeces and the skins ofanimals; (ii) "animal"”includes all kinds of,- (a)birds; (b)crustacean; (c)fish; (d)honey bee; (e)insects; (f)mammals,except man; (g)mollusc;and (h)reptiles; (ii)“Authority”means the National Food Safety,Animal and Plant HealthRegulatory Authority established under section 3; (iv) “Authorised Officer”means an officer of or nominated by the Authority undersection 19; 1 (V) "Board"means the Board established under section 5; (vi) “business operator”means the natural or legal person responsible for ensuringthat the SPS measures are complied with within the business under his control; (vii)“Certificate”means the certificate issued by the Authorized Officer confirmingcompliance or otherwise with the provisions of this Act; (viii)“Chairperson”means Chairperson of the Board appcinted under sub-section (2)of section 5; (ix) “Chief Executive”means the executive head of the Authority appointed undersection 9; (x) “Consultative Committee”means the committee as established under section12; (xi) "crop"includes all agricultural or horticultural crops and all trees,bushes,herbs,shrubs,grass,plants,roots,fungi and algae grown for commercialpurposes; (xii)"Department"includes the departments as mentioned in section 58; (xiii)“disease”means suffering from or carrying any infectious or contagiousdisease or such disease as may be declared by the Federal Government fromtime to time by notification in the official Gazette; (xiv)“export”shall have the meaning assigned by the Imports and Exports(Control)Act,1950(XXXIX of 1950); (xv)“feed”means animal feed,including hay,roughage,concentrate or any othersubstance used for feeding animals; (xvi)“fish”means aquatic animals which belong to class Pisces,Crustacea,Echinoderms,and Molluscs,excluding Reptiles and Mammals,which is byorder declared to be fish for the purposes of this Act under clause(d)of section2 of the Pakistan Fish Inspection and Quality Control Act,1997(XXXV of1997); (xvii)“food”means any substance,whether processed,semi-processed or raw,whichis intended for human consumption,and includes drink,chewing gum and anysubstance which has been used in the manufacture,preparation or treatment offood,including novel foods.'Food'shall not include,- (a)Feed; (b)animals unless they are prepared for placing on the market for humanconsumption in live form; (c)plants prior to harvesting; (d)medicinal products within the meaning of the Drug Act,1976(XXXI of1976); (e)tobacco and tobacco products within the meaning of Pakistan TobaccoBoard Ordinance,1968(1 of 1968); (f)narcotic or psychotropic substances within the meaning of the SingleConvention on Narcotie Drugs,1961,the Convention on PsychotropicSubstance

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Act regarding agricultural produce, plants, and animals used as food or feed?

It is designed to regulate quality aspects of agricultural produce, plants, and animals and their products used for food or feed, including for export and import, by framing standards aligned with recognized SPS measures.

What does the Act say about where it applies and when it comes into force?

It extends to the whole of Pakistan and shall come into force at once.

How does the Act define “food safety”?

It refers to measures taken by the Federal and Provincial Governments to ensure unsafe food is not placed on the market, including food that does not comply with relevant food laws and SPS conditions.

Oct 6, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana