PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority has adopted and operationalised the Food Quality Real-time Audit and Inspections Monitoring System (FRAIMS) as a core component of its regulatory governance framework across the province.
The officials said that the system had been approved by the Food Authority Board and was now fully functional throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.They said that FRAIMS introduced a fully digital, paperless and cashless regulatory regime, integrating real-time inspections, body-worn cameras, tablet-based field operations, a centralised Management Information System (MIS) and secure server-based data storage.
The officials said that all financial transactions, including fines, fees and licensing charges, were now being processed through cashless payment channels such as JazzCash, Easypaisa and 1Link, ensuring transparency, traceability and elimination of manual handling.
They added that under newly approved Inspection Regulations, the use of body-worn cameras and digital gadgets had been made mandatory for all operational activities. The officials maintained that inspections conducted without a complete digital footprint would be considered invalid, thereby strengthening accountability from field staff to departmental leadership.
The officials said that the Food Authority Board had also approved a 15-year baseline scientific study aimed at linking improvements in food quality with public health indicators.They explained that the long-term programme would align food sampling, laboratory testing and analytical data with disease trends and health outcomes, creating an evidence-based feedback loop between food regulation and public health policy. The officials said that to strengthen scientific capacity, the Authority was actively pursuing ISO accreditation for its food testing laboratory, which was expected to be achieved shortly.
They added that the installation of a Laboratory Information Management System was also underway to streamline laboratory operations, improve turnaround times and enhance public access to testing services.
The officials said that over the recent period, the KP Food Authority had undergone a shift in its regulatory approach, expanding its focus beyond hotels and restaurants to cover the entire food supply chain.
They said that this transformation included scientific sampling, product analysis, evidence-based recalls and structured engagement with local manufacturers.The officials added that through product registration and certification mechanisms, the Authority was encouraging local industry to comply with food standards rather than merely face enforcement actions.
They said that efforts were underway to obtain ISO certification, which would enable local producers and manufacturers to access high-end European and Middle Eastern markets through internationally recognised conformity assessment pathways.Director General KP Food Authority Wasif Saeed said that food regulation must be rooted in science, transparency and systems rather than discretion.
