LAHORE (The Thursday Times) — The Punjab government has drafted a law that would make it compulsory to fortify flour, ghee, cooking oil, and salt with added nutrients, in a push to bring down stunting among young children and nutritional deficiencies among women.
The draft Punjab Food Fortification Bill 2026 was taken up at a meeting on Friday chaired by Salma Butt, the provincial minister for food safety and consumer protection. She said it had been prepared on the instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and was being sent for approval.
Butt said 27.3% of children under five in Punjab were stunted. The rate had come down from 31.5% in 2017, she said, but iron and zinc deficiencies among women aged 15 to 49 had reached alarming levels, which was why the government wanted the requirement written into law.
Jail terms and fines
Under the draft, manufacturers that fail to register under the Punjab Food Authority Act would face up to three months in prison and a fine of up to Rs1 million.
Obstructing food safety officers in their work, or failing to meet the fortification requirements, could bring up to six months in prison and a fine of up to Rs2 million, the minister said.
All manufacturers and importers would have to carry out daily internal checks, rapid testing, and quality assurance. The micronutrient premixes that are blended into food would be subject to laboratory testing and production checks to make sure they meet the required standard.
The bill would also make it a legal duty for businesses to cooperate with food safety officers and give them accurate information, Butt said.
The meeting was attended by Food Safety Secretary Dr Kiran Khurshid, Food Safety Director General Anwar Jappa, Punjab Food Authority Director General Raja Mansoor, and other officials.
What fortification does
Fortification adds vitamins and minerals, such as iron, zinc, folic acid, and vitamin A, to staple foods while they are being processed, so that people get them without changing what they eat. Iodised salt works on the same principle.
Stunting, in which a child is too short for their age, is a sign of long-term undernutrition and is linked to poorer health and learning later in life.
Flour is the base of most meals in Punjab, from roti to naan, which makes it one of the most direct ways to reach households. Its price has been a running concern this year, as the cost of a roti has stayed high even after wheat imports arrived.
The draft still has to be approved before it can be put before the Punjab Assembly.
