Lok Sabha Question No. 2217 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Food Testing Lab
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Rama Devi, Vishnu Dutt Sharma

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2217 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2021

## FOOD TESTING LAB

## 2217. SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI: SHRI VISHNU DATT SHARMA:

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

- (a) whether  a  number  of  food  testing  laboratories  are  ill  equipped,  insufficient  and understaffed  thereby  hampering  food  testing  and  diluting  the  deterrence  against rampant practice of food adulteration;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) the number of food testing laboratories set up, State/UT-wise including Bihar;
- (d) the number out of the above testing laboratories that meet the international standards;
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  steps  to  upgrade  these  laboratories  and  also provide adequate staff, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a to e): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has informed that there are 222 laboratories  recognised  by  FSSAI  for  primary  testing  and  19  laboratories  for  Referral food samples. All the notified laboratories are National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration  Laboratories  (NABL)  accredited.  FSSAI,  under  a  Central  Sector  Scheme,  has provided  funds  for  upgradation  of  39  State  Food  Testing  labs  with  high  end  equipments and/or establishment of microbiology laboratory etc.

FSSAI  has  also  provided  160  Mobile  Food  Testing  Laboratories  (Food  Safety  on Wheels) to states/UTs which can be utilised for testing of food products even in remote areas.

The state wise list of laboratories notified by FSSAI is placed at Annexure .

The  pre-requisite  for  notifying/recognizing  the  laboratories  under  Food  Safety  and Standards  Act,  2006  is  NABL  accreditation. NABL  grants  accreditation  to  the  testing Laboratories  in  accordance  with  ISO/IEC  17025:2017  (i.e  international  standard)  and  also provides  grant  to  States  for  NABL  accreditation,  purchase  of  High  End  Equipment,  Basic Equipment, Certified Reference Materials, Consumables and providing Manpower (contractual staff) etc. towards strengthening of food ecosystem in States/ UTs.

.

FSSAI implements a Central Sector Scheme named 'Strengthening of Food Testing System in the Country including provision of Mobile Food Testing Labs ( SoFTeL)' under which funds are released for setting up and their upgradation with basic lab equipment, High End Equipment and Microbiology lab.

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## 1. Number of Primary Food Testing Laboratories u/s 43(1) of FSS Act, 2006:

Delhi:20, Haryana:19, Himachal Pradesh:2, Jammu & Kashmir:3, Punjab:4, Rajasthan:15, Uttrakhand:2, Uttar Pradesh: 14, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu:1, Gujarat: 17, Madhya Pradesh:8, Maharashtra:29, Goa:2, Andhra Pradesh:7, Karnataka:15, Kerala:15, Tamilnadu:23, Telangana:10, Assam:1, Jharkhand:1, Chattisgarh:1, Odisha:1, Nagaland:1, Tripura:1 and West Bengal:10.

## 2. Number of Referral Laboratories u/s 43(2) of FSS Act, 2006:

Haryana:1,  Punjab:1,  Uttar  Pradesh:2,  Gujarat:1,  Maharashtra:3,  Andhra  Pradesh:1, Karnataka:2, Kerala:2, Tamil Nadu:2, Telangana:3, West Bengal:1

## 3. Status of Bihar:

The State  of  Bihar  had  only  1  State  Food  Testing  Laboratory  named  as  Combined Food & Drug Laboratory (CFDL) Agamkuan, Patna. FSSAI has released grants Rs. 09.55 crore for upgradation of the Lab.