Lok Sabha Question No. 3972 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-10
Subject: Food Testing Laboratories
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: ALOK SANJAR

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3972 TO BE ANSWERED ON  10 TH AUGUST, 2018

## FOOD TESTING LABORAT ORIES

## 3972. SHRI ALOK SANJAR:

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

- (a) the number of food testing laboratories across the country, State/UTwise including M Pradesh;
- (b)  whether  the  present  number  of  these  laboratories  are  as  per  international  standa capable to meet the demand of industries;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the measures taken by the Government for modernisation of these laboratories and sett new food testing laboratories in the country?

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

- (a):    Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) at present has a network laboratories across the country. 248 of these laboratories are for primary testing out of which 172 are recognized & notified under section 43(1) of Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS Act) and  76  are  State  Government  laboratories  brought  from  the  Prevention  of  Food  Adulterat (PFA)  regime  and  working  under  transit ion  provision  of  section  98  of  the  FSS  Act.  18 laboratories are for appellate (referral) testing recognized & notified under section 43 Act.

The details of laboratories, States/UTs wise, including the State of  Madhya Prades Annexure.

- (b)& (c): FSSAI notifies only those food testing laboratories which are compliant to 17025, which is an international standard for accreditation of testing laboratories. Out 266  laboratories,  188  laboratories  across  the  country  are  of  intern ational standard.  These laboratories are located in various parts and are adequate at present to meet the requi food testing in the country.

Contd…….

(d): A Central  Sector  Scheme  for  'Strengthening  of  Food  Testing  System  in  the  Country including Provision of Mobile Food Testing Labs' has been rolled out by the Government with an outlay of Rs.481.95 crore for implementation during the period from 2016 - 17  to  2 018- 19. Under the Scheme, it is envisaged to  upgrade 42 state food laboratories (at least one State/UT and two in larger States) with state of the art analytical equipment. The Sche envisages establishment of new food laboratories in North Eastern States, subject to readiness of the State Governments. So far, a total of 29 food laboratories of 25 States/UTs have bee up  for  upgradation  and  a  grant  of  Rs.112.45  crore  has  been  sanctioned.  Further,  unde Scheme, 31 Mobile Food Testin g laboratories, called Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs) have also been delivered to 26 States/UTs so far.

………………

## State/UT- wise number of food testing laboratories in the country

| Sr. No.   | State/UT                  | Food Testing labs notified under Section 43(1) of FSS Act, 2006   | Food Testing labs notified under Section 43(1) of FSS Act, 2006   | Food Testing labs notified under Section 43(1) of FSS Act, 2006   | Referral Laboratories notified under Section 43(2) of FSS Act, 2006   | Laboratories working under transition provision of section 98 of the FSS Act   |
|-----------|---------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sr. No.   | State/UT                  | Government                                                        | Government                                                        | Private                                                           |                                                                       |                                                                                |
| Sr. No.   | State/UT                  | State                                                             | Other Institutions                                                | Private                                                           |                                                                       |                                                                                |
| 1         | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | -                                                                 |                                                                   | -                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh            | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | 3                                                                 | 1                                                                     | 2                                                                              |
| 3         | Assam                     | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 4         | Bihar                     | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh              | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 6         | Daman & Diu               | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                     | -                                                                              |
| 7         | GNCT of Delhi             | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 19                                                                | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 8         | Goa                       | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 9         | Gujarat                   | 4                                                                 | -                                                                 | 9                                                                 | 1                                                                     | 2                                                                              |
| 10        | Haryana                   | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 15                                                                | -                                                                     | 2                                                                              |
| 11        | Himachal Pradesh          | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 12        | Jammu & Kashmir           | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                     | 2                                                                              |
| 13        | Jharkhand                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 14        | Karnataka                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 13                                                                | 2                                                                     | 6                                                                              |
| 15        | Kerala                    | 3                                                                 | 7                                                                 | 5                                                                 | 2                                                                     | 0                                                                              |
| 16        | Madhya Pradesh            | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 8                                                                 | -                                                                     | 3                                                                              |
| 17        | Maharashtra               | 2                                                                 | 2                                                                 | 23                                                                | 3                                                                     | 15                                                                             |
| 18        | Manipur                   |                                                                   |                                                                   |                                                                   |                                                                       | 1                                                                              |
| 19        | Meghalaya                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 20        | Nagaland                  | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 21        | Odisha                    | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 22        | Puducherry                | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 23        | Punjab                    | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | 2                                                                 | -                                                                     | 3                                                                              |
| 24        | Rajasthan                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | 4                                                                 | -                                                                     | 9                                                                              |
| 25        | Sikkim                    | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 26        | Tamil Nadu                | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 19                                                                | 2                                                                     | 7                                                                              |
| 27        | Telangana                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                 | 8                                                                 | 3                                                                     | 0                                                                              |
| 28        | Tripura                   | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | 0                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 29        | Uttar Pradesh             | 2                                                                 | 3                                                                 | 4                                                                 | 2                                                                     | 4                                                                              |
| 30        | Uttarakhand               | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                     | 1                                                                              |
| 31        | West Bengal               | -                                                                 | 2                                                                 | 4                                                                 | 1                                                                     | 5                                                                              |
|           | Total                     | 12                                                                | 18                                                                | 142                                                               | 18                                                                    | 76                                                                             |

## Annexure