INDIA – The Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu, a government body that looks after the interests of consumers in India, has flagged off a product testing laboratory to help people test the claims of manufacturers and sellers.
Inaugurated by the Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru, the ₹1 crore (U.S 121,037) laboratory will temporarily function from a 660 sq. ft. space on the premises of the Council office in Kumaran Nagar.
A spectrophotometer, turbidimeter, pH meter, cooking oil testers, a hot air oven, and a water bath are among the water testing tools at the cutting-edge facility.
After establishing a dedicated building with more technology, the lab will expand services across sectors such as food, chemicals, and grocery among others.
The program will put a strong emphasis on educating and empowering the general population about the quality of the goods they use on a daily basis.
The lab will cater to the testing, inspection, and certification needs of the consumers.
The council’s highly qualified and experienced team of specialists aspires to deliver the public trustworthy outcomes cost-effectively.
The public will obtain edible oil and water samples for testing, including drinking, bore, and well water, according to S. Pusphavanam, Council Secretary.
“The lab is exclusively set up for consumers as government labs are not accessible to the public. The results of the test will be valid in any court of law, and anyone can raise a complaint against consumer brands for misleading advertisements at the consumer protection agency,” said Mr. Pusphavanam.
The council will also get accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a Constituent Board of Quality Council of India, for the lab in due course by testing 400 samples.
NABL is Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) signatory to ILAC as well as APAC for the accreditation of Testing and Calibration Laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025), Medical Testing Laboratories (ISO 15189), Proficiency Testing Providers (PTP) (ISO/IEC 17043) and Reference materials producers (RMP).
Such MRA reduces the technical barrier to trade and facilitates acceptance of test/ calibration results between countries that MRA partners represent.
It was established to provide Government, Industry Associations, and Industry in general with a scheme of Conformity Assessment Body’s accreditation which involves third-party assessment of the technical competence of testing including calibration laboratories, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers.
Founded in 1974, the Consumer Protection Council is registered as a society under Society’s Registration Act and also under Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission New Delhi. It has 14 branches all over Tamil Nadu.
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