40% of Bottled Water Found Substandard in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Province-Wide Food Authority Testing Campaign

Peshawar (Staff Report): The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority (KPFS&HFA) has completed its first-ever province-wide bottled water testing campaign, declaring 40.39% of samples substandard and hazardous for human health.

According to the official report, a total of 156 bottled water samples (19-litre, 1.5-litre, 500ml, and 300ml) were tested at the newly established Provincial Food Testing Laboratory and Centre for Research. Results showed that 59.61% were satisfactory while 40.39% failed to meet Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) benchmarks.

Additionally, 56 water source samples were tested, of which 27 were found safe and 29 substandard. Alarmingly, 61 bottled water samples contained harmful microbial contamination including Coliform, Fecal Coliform, E.Coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while two samples were contaminated with toxic chemical components. Both findings were termed extremely dangerous for public health.

It was further revealed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 143 active bottled water industries, producing on average 419,000 litres daily, of which 117,543 litres were substandard. The campaign was conducted between August 23 and September 19, 2025.

Food Minister Zahir Shah Toru informed that industries producing unsafe water had been heavily fined, while the Authority issued recall directives to remove hazardous stocks from the market. Production of failed units has been halted until corrective measures are implemented and standards re-approved.

He added that on the directives of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, the Authority has also initiated testing drives across other food products to ensure compliance with national and international safety standards.

Minister Toru vowed strict action:
“We will eliminate adulteration and unsafe food items across the province. By ensuring safe and quality food, we will ultimately empty the hospitals.”