PESHAWAR: Nearly four out of every ten bottled water brands in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have been found unsafe for human consumption, raising alarm over public health and consumer safety.
According to the first ever province wide testing campaign conducted by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority, 40.39% of bottled water samples failed quality standards, with many contaminated by dangerous microbes.
Out of 156 bottled water samples tested at the newly established Provincial Food Testing Laboratory and Research Centre, 61 contained hazardous microbial contamination, including Coliform, Fecal Coliform, E. coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Two other samples contained harmful chemical substances. Officials warned these could pose serious health risks to unsuspecting consumers.
The report also examined 56 water sources, of which 29 were found substandard. In total, over 117,000 litres of bottled water produced daily in K-P was deemed unsafe, against the province’s 419,000-litre daily production capacity.
Director General Wasif Saeed briefed Food Minister Zahir Shah Toru on the findings. Following the results, authorities imposed heavy fines on violators, suspended production at unsafe plants, and ordered the recall of contaminated bottled water from markets. Plants will only be allowed to resume operations after corrective measures and fresh approvals.
Food Minister Toru hailed the testing campaign as a “milestone for consumer rights,” adding that it was launched under the directives of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. He vowed strict enforcement to eliminate substandard food and beverages.
“We will ensure safe food across the province. By removing hazardous items, we will not only protect people’s health but also reduce hospital visits,” Toru said.
The authority plans to expand testing to include water filtration plants and household water sources in the next phase, promising a stronger safety net for consumers and higher standards for producers.
