The National Standard Body, PSQCA has received certificate of accreditation for its microbiological lab quality control centre to test the materials for human consumption. These tests ascertain the food standards in conformity with international requirements legislated as national standards, harmonised standards or mutually recognised standards not in conflict with ISO notified positions.
Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has been accorded accreditation by the Norwegian Accreditation (NA). The Norwegian body is recognised internationally for issuing certification to accredit laboratories for carrying out tests in accordance with international standards required for manufacturing.
The determined tests labelled and put on package should display the tolerances relating to ingredients present in the materials for human consumption limiting its level to the required ones as per international norms allowed and notified as outcome of scientific based investigations.
PSQCA by acquiring accreditation for microbiological labs can now comfortably carry out tests as per international standards securing consumer rights and impeding the use of unhygienically packaged material, otherwise adverse to hygiene and health of human beings.
Presently 47 items under the compulsory list for use by consumers include edibles and products, which are in common use of civil society. Water is a compulsory item for standardisation.
The ingredients such as Coliforms, Hetarotrophic Plate which are identified as sources of spreading water born diseases can be tested in conformity with the international standards following grant of ISO 17025 (2005) to microbiological labs of PSQCA.
The presence of Hetarotrophic at certain levels in water has adverse effect on human health and equally affects liver functions leading to likely damage of liver. The reorganisation of microbiological labs also can help government to ensure monitoring of filtering plants as past of PSDP and help fulfil the promise of providing safe drinking water.
PSQCA is also in the process of expanding accreditation of tests, which will increase the scope of tests as per international standards. Presently PSQCA is carrying out many tests as per international references but the strength of the results will be readily available locally and overseas in the matter of exportable merchandise when the same are also accredited for tests.
The Quality Control Centre (QCC) testing laboratories of PSQCA currently operate three laboratories nation-wide. The QCC provides multi-disciplined, high quality laboratory analysis across numerous service lines for samples submitted by regulators, inspection firms, environmental consultants, construction firms, re-mediation firms, engineers, industrial hygienists, manufacturing firms, health and safety professionals, and local, state, and federal government agencies.
Standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures (testing, certification) have become increasingly important as non-tariff barriers to trade, as traditional border barriers, have been brought down.
Standards and conformity assessment systems are designed to ensure performance, inter-operability, as well as safety and integrity of products in the marketplace and these systems affect a significant portion of trade of developing countries.
The economic impact on manufacturers of meeting requirements in global markets is staggering. The trade and safety requirement compliance demands harmonisation of standard and conformity assessment (testing, certification, and accreditation) procedures.
Manufacturers desire to test the product once to one standard, get certification once, and ultimately have the product accepted in multiple markets. To overcome these technical barriers, QCC accredited its microbiology lab from Norwegian Accreditation (multi-recognition arrangement Member of International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation and European Accreditation) with the help of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation- Trade Related Technical Assistance UNIDO-TRTA, funded by EU, programme.
NA granted accreditation of Quality Control Centre microbiology lab, Karachi against ISO/IEC 17025 (Laboratory Management Standard), shows that the laboratory has met defined performance standards, including personnel qualifications, proficiency under Microbiology Proficiency Analytical Testing Programme (MPATP), facilities, quality assurance, records, analytical methods and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
In the global industry, customers are becoming more demanding and seeking assurances on the products and services you provide them. NA accreditation, QCC customers will have the confidence in the quality of products and services that they provide.
PSQCA through the standardisation of products could help in moving exports forward and provide an image building programme through recognition of Pakistani products in world market as of name and quality through accrediting its labs and enlarge the scope of accredited tests.
The exportable merchandise requiring certification of ISO 17025 qualified labs will find acceptance for the importing countries as an international practices which accords acceptance of results of laboratories accredited for the tests.
The microbiological labs of PSQCA have been accredited with the validity up-to 2012 and with the passage of time the diversification of exports may become possible through local testing and guidance made available to them by the Ministry of Science and Technology through PSQCA.
Once a laboratory becomes accredited, it is allowed the exclusive use of the logo of that accreditation body that issued its accreditation. The accredited body can only refer to its accreditation for those tests for which accreditation was accorded. For easier recognition across border, the International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (ILAC) has come with a world recognised mark called the ILAC mark. This ILAC is to be used alongside the logo of the accreditation body.
(The writer is Media Adviser/ PSQCA)
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