INDIA – The Indian government has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in New Delhi for establishing food testing labs and mobile food testing labs at a cost of Rs 88.41 crore.
FSSAI will spend 6.5 crore on infrastructure, 8.46 crore for advanced machinery and another 4.28 crore for setting up micro-biology laboratory in each of the comprehensive food testing laboratories coming up in Tirumala and Kurnool.
Besides, basic food testing laboratories will be set up at a cost of 13 crore each in Eluru and Ongole, bringing the total number of notified food labs in the State to seven. Another Rs 12 crore will be used for testing food samples for pesticide residues and other contaminants.
Additionally, Rs 11 crore has been set aside for educational campaigns targeting consumers, the food industry, and farmers to promote food safety awareness. These initiatives will include producing short films, radio jingles, and publishing posters and food safety manuals.
These labs will be equipped with high-end apparatus for detecting pesticide residues, heavy metals, and assessing nutritional values in food. Additionally, microbiological labs will be established to enhance testing capabilities.
The decision was made in the wake of the recent controversy about the alleged adulterated ghee used in making of Laddu prasadam in Tirumala.
The Supreme Court had directed the Centre to set up a special investigation team (SIT) comprising officials from CBI, FSSAI and state police. In a quick move, the state health department headed by Satya Kumar Yadav of BJP, struck the deal with FSSAI.
Minister Satya Kumar Yadav stated that an action plan would be developed to firmly implement the Food Safety and Standards Act in the state, adding that the MoU would facilitate the recruitment of human resources and the establishment of basic amenities.
The minister requested a food testing lab for every district in the state, which the FSSAI CEO agreed to allocate Rs 15 crore for this purpose.
The AP Food Safety commissioner expressed that food safety and standards need to be enhanced at a cost of `140 crore in the state and assured that the recruitment of food safety officers would commence soon.
