Technical Assistance on Food Safety to Promote Public Health and Food Export - TCP/PAK/3906
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Pakistan is a key producer of staple and high-value food crops such as wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables and chillies. These crops are predominantly cultivated using conventional agricultural practices, often marked by the indiscriminate application of pesticides and outdated pre- and post-harvest handling techniques. Consequently, food safety concerns have emerged due to elevated levels of aflatoxin contamination and pesticide residues, frequently exceeding internationally prescribed maximum residue limits (MRLs), particularly in commodities like maize, rice, groundnut and chillies. The presence of aflatoxins and pesticide residues poses a significant public health risk and undermines the export potential of Pakistani agricultural produce. Aflatoxins are recognized as potent carcinogens and mutagens, capable of contaminating crops both during cultivation and post-harvest storage. Ingestion of aflatoxin-contaminated food can lead to severe health complications, including liver cancer and aflatoxicosis. According to World Bank estimates, aflatoxin exposure causes approximately 90 000 cases of liver cancer annually. Consequently, stringent regulations have been enacted globally to control permissible aflatoxin levels in food and feed products.