Existing Quality of Vanaspati Ghee in Pakistan: a Question Mark on the Performance of Food Regulatory Authorities

The purpose of the present work was to access the physico-chemical and sensory quality of 50 brands of Vanaspati ghee commercially available in Pakistan. The physico-chemical quality of these Vanaspati ghee brands was determined in term of different physico-chemical tests i.e. free fatty acid value, peroxide value, rancidity, refractive index, melting point and presence of vitamins. Sensory evaluation was carried out by color, physical appearance, smell and presence of foreign matter. These results were compared with the standards set by Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) and WHO. The overall results showed that only 14% brands were found to meet with all major national and international specifications. The above results showed severe deviation of these products from the standards set by PSQCA. The finding of this study revealed that most of the vanaspati ghee does not fulfill the quality criteria and severe deviate from food standards. Food regulatory authorities are totally failed to implement food laws, as a result of this substandard vanaspati ghee is produced and sold all over the Pakistani markets.