Lok Sabha Question No. 3102 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-05
Subject: Testing of Food Items
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3102 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH JANUARY, 2018

## TESTING OF FOOD ITEM S

## 3102. DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK':

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has formulated any policy or issued guidelines for production and testing of food products and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has noticed the shortage of testing facilities and trained personnels in naxal affected, border, remote, rural, hilly areas of the country; and

(c) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY )

- (a): For  the  purposes  of  food  safety,  production  and  testing  of  food  products  is  reg under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations made thereunder .
- (b) & (c): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had undertaken a baselin survey of 72 State/Public Food Laboratories in 2013 - 14. During the survey, it was found that 62 state food testing laboratories were functional and that there was shortage of testing facilities i the majority of state food testing labs across the country. Further, the gap study indica the state food testing laboratories, there is an urgent need to upgrade these laborator ter ms of testing infrastructure, availability of trained scientific and technical manpower testing  and  putting  in  place  a  more  reliable  laboratory  management  and  operating  proce Accordingly, FSSAI has rolled out a Central Sector Scheme for 'Str engthening of Food Testing System in the Country including Provision of Mobile Food Testing Labs' (SOFTeL) with a total outlay  of  Rs.  481.95  Crore  to  be  implemented  during  2016 - 17  to  2018 - 19.  The  Scheme comprises , inter alia, of the following components:
- (i) Strengthening of about 45 state food  testing laboratories;
- (ii) Strengthening of about 12 referral food testing laboratories;
- (iii) Establishment of  about 62  mobile food testing labs;
- (iv) Capacity Building of food testing laboratories personnel.

Under the said Scheme, grant is being provided to the State/Union Territ Governments and referral laboratories towards procurement of high -end equipments. So far, 23 state food testing laboratories from 22 States/UTs and 5 referral laboratories have bee n assisted. Similarly, 19 mobile food testing laboratories (now called Food Safety on Wheels) have provided to 17 States/UTs for training, testing and surveillance. FSSAI has also conduc training  programmes  in  association  with  Government  institu tions,  International  bodies  and Private Laboratories for lab personnel.   Further, FSSAI has notified 142 mostly Private accredited laboratories across India for purposes of primary testing to strengthen the fo infrastructure.