Lok Sabha Question No. 2125 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-29
Subject: Food Testing Laboratories
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: P. C. Mohan, Ramcharan Bohra, S. Venkatesan

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2125 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 th  JULY, 2022

## FOOD TESTING LABORATORIES

## 2125. SHRI P.C. MOHAN: SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA: SHRI S. VENKATESAN:

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

- (a)  the  details  of  modern  Food  Testing  Laboratories  that  are  authorised  for  testing  food products  as  per  standards  prescribed  by  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India (FSSAI)  under  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Act  and  Regulations,  State/UT-wise  including Karnataka;
- (b) the details of Referral Laboratories under FSSAI which are authorised for referral testing, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the data of private laboratories notified by FSSAI, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the details of funds allocated and utilized for food testing laboratories during the last three years and the current year and the steps taken/being taken by the Government for establishing well equipped modern food testing laboratories in each district of the country for preventing food adulteration;
- (e)  whether  the  Government proposes to encourage unemployed  youth  for establishing the said laboratories and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether his Ministry has formulated any regulations on Genetically Modified foods under Section 22 of the Food Safety and Standards Act and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a)  to  (c):  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI)  has  informed  that  it  has recognized/notified 224 food testing laboratories (including 53 state government laboratories, 145  private  laboratories  and  26  other  government  laboratories  for  primary  testing  and  20 laboratories  for  testing  referral  food  samples).  The  state  wise  list  of  notified  laboratories, including Karnataka is at Annexure I.
- (d) & (e): FSSAI does not establish primary food testing labs but recognises and notifies labs based on voluntary applications. Further,  FSSAI is implementing a Central Sector Scheme named ' Strengthening of Food Testing System in the Country including provision of Mobile Food  Testing  Labs (SOFTeL)  under  which  State  Food  Testing  Laboratories  (SFTLs)  are

provided  funds    for    setting  up  lab  with  basic  lab  equipment,  installation  of  high  end equipment and  establishing microbiology lab. FSSAI has also provided grants to States for National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation, Certified  Reference  Materials,  Consumables  and  for  hiring  contractual  manpower.    The details of funds allocated and utilized during last three years and current year under the said Scheme is at Annexure II .

To  extend  reach  of basic testing facilities  even  in  remote  areas,  FSSAI  has sanctioned/provided 254 mobile food testing labs called Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs).

Ministry of Food  Processing  Industries has informed  that total  Food  Testing Laboratories (FTL) projects completed from 2019 till date is 41 and on an average 37 persons have been  employed in  each  FTL  project.  Therefore,  total  direct  and  indirect  employment generated since 2019 is 1517. The details of funds released for food testing laboratories by Ministry of Food Processing Industries is Rs.25.96 crore in 2019-20, Rs.23.32crore in 202021 and Rs.34.43 crore in 2021-22.

(f): Draft Regulations for Genetically Modified foods have been notified.

……………………

## Annexure I

## State-wise number of Food Testing Laboratories in the Country

| S. No   | State/UT                            | Food Testing labs notified under Section 43(1) of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006   | Food Testing labs notified under Section 43(1) of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006   | Food Testing labs notified under Section 43(1) of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006   | Referral Laboratories notified under Section 43(2) of   |
|---------|-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No   | State/UT                            | Government                                                                                    | Government                                                                                    | Private                                                                                       | FSS Act, 2006                                           |
| S. No   | State/UT                            | State                                                                                         | Other Institutions                                                                            | Private                                                                                       | FSS Act, 2006                                           |
| 1       | Andaman &Nicobar Islands            | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh                      | -                                                                                             | 1                                                                                             | 6                                                                                             | 1                                                       |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh                   | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 4       | Assam                               | 1                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 5       | Bihar                               | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 6       | Chandigarh                          | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh                        | 1                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 8       | Dadar& Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | 1                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 9       | GNCT of Delhi                       | 1                                                                                             | 1                                                                                             | 17                                                                                            | -                                                       |
| 10      | Goa                                 | 1                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | 1                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 11      | Gujarat                             | 6                                                                                             | 2                                                                                             | 9                                                                                             | 1                                                       |
| 12      | Haryana                             | 2                                                                                             | 1                                                                                             | 17                                                                                            | 1                                                       |
| 13      | Himachal Pradesh                    | 1                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | 1                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 14      | Jammu &Kashmir                      | 2                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 15      | Jharkhand                           | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | 1                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 16      | Karnataka                           | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | 15                                                                                            | 2                                                       |
| 17      | Kerala                              | 3                                                                                             | 6                                                                                             | 6                                                                                             | 2                                                       |
| 18      | Ladakh                              | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                       |
| 19      | Lakshadweep                         | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                                                             | -                                                       |

| 20   | Madhya Pradesh   | 1   | -   | 6   | -   |
|------|------------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| 21   | Maharashtra      | 4   | 2   | 24  | 4   |
| 22   | Manipur          | 1   | -   | -   | -   |
| 23   | Meghalaya        | 1   | -   | -   | -   |
| 24   | Mizoram          | -   | -   | -   | -   |
| 25   | Nagaland         | 1   | -   | -   | -   |
| 26   | Odisha           | 1   | -   | 1   | -   |
| 27   | Puducherry       | -   | -   | -   | -   |
| 28   | Punjab           | 1   | 1   | 2   | 1   |
| 29   | Rajasthan        | 9   | 1   | 5   | -   |
| 30   | Sikkim           | -   | -   | -   | -   |
| 31   | Tamil Nadu       | 6   | 1   | 15  | 2   |
| 32   | Telangana        | 1   | -   | 8   | 3   |
| 33   | Tripura          | 1   | 1   | -   | -   |
| 34   | Uttar Pradesh    | 5   | 4   | 5   | 2   |
| 35   | Uttarakhand      | 1   | -   | 1   | -   |
| 36   | West Bengal      | 2   | 5   | 4   | 1   |
|      | Total            | 53  | 26  | 145 | 20  |

## ANNEXURE-II

## Details of funds allocated and utilized during last three years and current year under SOFTeL Scheme

## Rs in crore

| S. No   | Component                                               | Total Fund allocated for strengthening of Food Testing Laboratories since 2016-17 under Central Sector Scheme and otherwise   | Funds Utilised during last three years and current year   | Funds Utilised during last three years and current year   | Funds Utilised during last three years and current year   | Funds Utilised during last three years and current year   |
|---------|---------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No   | Component                                               | Total Fund allocated for strengthening of Food Testing Laboratories since 2016-17 under Central Sector Scheme and otherwise   | 2019- 2020                                                | 2020- 2021                                                | 2021- 2022                                                | 2022- 2023                                                |
| 1       | Upgradation of SFTLs with - high end equipment          | 474.03                                                                                                                        | 89.18                                                     | 1.00                                                      | 6.80                                                      | 28.99                                                     |
| 2       | Upgradation/Setting of basic functional FTLs            | 60.12                                                                                                                         | 5.00                                                      | 0.00                                                      | 4.17                                                      | 3.63                                                      |
| 5       | Provision of 2 manpower in each lab                     | 7.00                                                                                                                          | 0.00                                                      | 0.00                                                      | 0.58                                                      | 1.47                                                      |
| 6       | Support for NABL accreditation and introduction of LIMS | 8.60                                                                                                                          | 0.00                                                      | 0.00                                                      | 0.46                                                      | 0.54                                                      |
| 7       | Rapid Testing Kits/Hand- held devices                   | 9.00                                                                                                                          | 0.00                                                      | 0.00                                                      | 0.47                                                      | 0.82                                                      |