“Safe, Nutritious and Healthy Baking is the right of every citizen and our fundamental responsibility”
The Pakistan Baking Summit 2026, organized by the National Alliance for Safe Food at the Grand Ballroom of Pearl Continental Hotel Karachi, successfully brought together leading stakeholders from Pakistan’s baking, flour milling, food processing, nutrition, and regulatory sectors to discuss the future of the baking industry with a strong focus on nutrition, innovation, food safety, sustainability, and export readiness.
The summit was led by Rana Awais Khan, who welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of collaboration between industry, academia, regulators, and development organizations to strengthen Pakistan’s baking ecosystem and support national nutrition goals. He Also thanks to All Sponsors, partners, guests, Speakers as well as Karachi Bakers Association, CEO’s of Different Baking Industries, PFMA, CAP, PSFST and other strategic Partners.
During the inaugural session, Mr. Noman A. Lutfi, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Ismail Industries Limited and Head of Advisory Board of the Baking Summit, highlighted the growing potential of Pakistan’s baking sector and stressed the need for innovation, technology adoption, and international partnerships to transform the industry into a globally competitive sector.
A key highlight of the summit was the discussion on food fortification and public nutrition. Mr. Mueen Qureshi, Food Fortification Expert, explained that food fortification is one of the most sustainable and cost-effective approaches to combat micronutrient deficiencies in Pakistan. He emphasized that deficiencies of Iron, Zinc, Folic Acid, Vitamin A, and Vitamin D continue to impact women and children, affecting immunity, growth, and overall productivity.
He further shared that the baking industry can play a transformative role by utilizing fortified Maida, wheat flour, and edible oil in bakery products without changing consumer eating habits. He also noted that more than 140 countries have successfully implemented food fortification programs for staple foods.
Mr. Abid Mehsood Khan, Vice Chairman of Pakistan Flour Mills Association, appreciated the support of Nutrition International in strengthening flour mill fortification initiatives across Pakistan. He stated that flour mills are fully capable of supplying fortified Maida and Atta to bakery chains and commercial baking industries on a B2B basis. He added that the participation of Nutrition International created valuable opportunities for collaboration between flour mills, edible oil producers, and the baking sector to promote fortified bakery products and improve public health outcomes.
The summit also addressed emerging global compliance requirements and healthier baking practices. Dr. Omer Mukhtar Tarar, Principal Scientific Officer at Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, highlighted the importance of Front-of-Pack Labelling (FOPL) and discussed the challenges associated with industrially produced trans fatty acids (iTFA) in bakery products. He emphasized that innovation, transparency, and compliance with international food safety standards are now essential for meeting modern consumer expectations and export market requirements.
Dr. Syed Muhammad Ghufran Saeed, Associate Professor at the Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Karachi, discussed the increasing consumer demand for healthier bakery products and shared ongoing research related to iTFA elimination and healthier fat modification techniques. He highlighted that collaborative initiatives supported by development organizations are helping introduce safer, healthier, and more sustainable baking solutions for the industry.
The summit featured several high-level panel discussions and CEO sessions involving renowned industry leaders and experts including Ms. Naila Naqvi of Pie in the Sky, Sheikh Tehseen Ahmed of United King, Mr. Obaid Hassan of Entrée Foods, Mr. Salman Aslam of Milkyz Food Pvt Ltd, and Mr. Adil Ali from Barkat Frisian Agro Ltd. The Session Moderated by Mr. Shahzad Raza Makki, CEO Odr Foods.
The Important Session was “Global Regulations, Innovations and Technologies” led by Mr. Arij Iqbal from Alpha Penta, the session focus on latest trends and what’s new in future and the speakers of the session were Mr. Ammar Qureshi of Lotte Kolson Private Limited, Mr. Rizwan Buttar of ZAUQ Group, Dr. Omer Mukhtar Tarar PCSIR, Mr. Zoahib Azam, and Samar Abidi from IFFCO.
Important discussions were also held on export strategies, branding, innovation, sustainable packaging, technology adoption, and development sector support for export-oriented baking businesses. Speakers emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between industry stakeholders to improve food quality standards, encourage entrepreneurship, and enhance Pakistan’s global competitiveness in the baking and processed food sectors. The Session led by Dr. Shahzad Ameen, International Marketing Expert.
The event was further honored by the participation of H.E. Mr. Herman Hardynata Ahmad, Consul General of Malaysia in Karachi, Officers from Sindh Food Authority and TDAP. Participants highly appreciated the initiative and recognized the growing role of Pakistan’s baking sector in supporting nutrition security, food safety, innovation, export development, and sustainable economic growth while contributing toward the reduction of hidden hunger in the country.
