Lok Sabha Question No. 3627 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: Credibility of Food Testing Laboratories
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Rajesh Ranjan

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3627 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST MARCH, 2025

## CREDIBILITY OF FOOD TESTING LABORATORIES

## 3627. SHRI RAJESH RANJAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has lost its credibility in recent surveys and if so, the details thereof;

- (b) whether the Government has issued any guidelines to ensure that the functioning of FSSAI becomes more transparent and responsive and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to increase the number of food testing laboratories in rural areas; and
- (d) if so, the details of the food-testing laboratories in rural areas, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (d): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established in 2008 under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, primarily for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

FSSAI provides financial and technical assistance to State Food Testing Laboratories including provision of Mobile Food Testing Labs. For testing of various food commodities, FSSAI has notified 243 primary laboratories and 22 Referral Laboratories across the country. State wise details of these laboratories is at Annexure.

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## ANNEXURE

## State-wise number of Food Testing Laboratories notified under FSS Act

| S. 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   |
|---------|------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No   | State/UT                           | Government                                                        | Government                                                        | Private Lab                                                       | Referral Laboratories notified under Section 43(2) of FSS Act, 2006   |
| S. No   | State/UT                           | State Lab                                                         | Lab under other Institutions                                      | Private Lab                                                       | Referral Laboratories notified under Section 43(2) of FSS Act, 2006   |
| 1       | Andaman &Nicobar Islands           | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh                     | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | 4                                                                 | 1                                                                     |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh                  | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 4       | Assam                              | 1                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 5       | Bihar                              | 1                                                                 | 1                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 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                                                                 | 3                                                                 | 10                                                                | 1                                                                     |
| 12      | Haryana                            | 2                                                                 | 1                                                                 | 15                                                                | 2                                                                     |
| 13      | Himachal Pradesh                   | 1                                                                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 14      | Jammu &Kashmir                     | 2                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 15      | Jharkhand                          | 1                                                                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 16      | Karnataka                          | 3                                                                 | -                                                                 | 17                                                                | 2                                                                     |
| 17      | Kerala                             | 3                                                                 | 6                                                                 | 6                                                                 | 2                                                                     |
| 18      | Ladakh                             | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 19      | Lakshadweep                        | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 20      | Madhya Pradesh                     | 1                                                                 | -                                                                 | 7                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 21      | Maharashtra                        | 5                                                                 | 2                                                                 | 27                                                                | 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                          | 10                                                                | 1                                                                 | 6                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 30      | Sikkim                             | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 31      | Tamil Nadu                         | 6                                                                 | 2                                                                 | 17                                                                | 3                                                                     |
| 32      | Telangana                          | 1                                                                 | 1                                                                 | 9                                                                 | 3                                                                     |
| 33      | Tripura                            | 1                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 34      | Uttar Pradesh                      | 6                                                                 | 4                                                                 | 4                                                                 | 2                                                                     |
| 35      | Uttarakhand                        | 1                                                                 | -                                                                 | 1                                                                 | -                                                                     |
| 36      | West Bengal                        | 2                                                                 | 4                                                                 | 4                                                                 | 1                                                                     |
|         | Total                              | 61                                                                | 30                                                                | 152                                                               | 22                                                                    |