Behind the modest 0.28pc weekly rise in Pakistan's short-term inflation lies a far more troubling development: nearly 36% of packaged edible oil, ghee, and milk products are failing national quality standards, prompting an official nationwide survey of loose food items. Main Developments The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) climbed 9.29% year-on-year for the week ending Aug 4, driven by higher edible oil and wheat flour costs, while weekly inflation rose just 0.28%, according to data released Friday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Natural gas remains the single largest contributor to inflation, with housing, wheat flour, fresh milk, and petrol also adding upward pressure. Lower prices of sugar, potatoes, and chicken helped temper the overall rate. Read also: PIA's New Owners Bet on Bonuses to Fuel Revival Week-on-week, onions led increases at 10.14%, followed by chicken (9.19%), pulse gram (2.43%), chilli powder (1.01%), mustard oil (0.99%), and tea Lipton (0.57%). Falling prices included tomatoes (6.82%), LPG (1.90%), diesel (1.66%), bananas (1.20%), petrol (0.63%), and sugar (0.51%). Background The National Price Monitoring Committee, chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, reviewed the latest trends and noted a deceleration in monthly inflation. This committee has been tracking price movements and quality issues of essential commodities. In a related development, the Ministry of Science and Technology presented a quality assessment of 491 samples of packaged edible oil, ghee, and milk products, tested by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) and consolidated by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). Of those, 315 met national standards, but 176 failed—a non-conformance rate of approximately 36%. The failures included 98 of 204 banaspati ghee samples, 40 of 146 blended cooking oil samples, 26 of 104 packaged liquid milk samples, 8 of 18 milk powder samples, 3 of 4 refined palm oil samples, and 1 of 13 refined canola oil samples. Why It Matters Beyond the immediate price pressures, the quality lapses raise serious public health concerns. Iqbal ordered a nationwide survey of loose edible oil, ghee, and milk—items not covered in the packaged testing—citing increasing cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable illnesses, particularly among younger Pakistanis. The survey aims to identify regional quality patterns, determine causes of deficiencies, and recommend practical measures to strengthen food safety standards, regulatory oversight, and consumer protection. For households already grappling with rising food costs, the findings could carry significant health and economic implications. What's Next A specialised technical sub-committee has been formed to critically analyse the laboratory findings and submit evidence-based recommendations for regulatory and policy action. Iqbal directed provincial governments, regional administrations, and relevant authorities to carry out the nationwide survey of loose food items. The committee will also continue monitoring international commodity prices and their potential impact on domestic markets, while assessing the implementation status of previous decisions.