Lok Sabha Question No. 3460 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: Food Testing Infrastructure in North-Eastern States
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Kamakhya Prasad Tasa

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3460 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST MARCH, 2025

## FOOD TESTING INFRASTRUCTURE IN NORTH-EASTERN STATES

## 3460. SHRI KAMAKHYA PRASAD TASA:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that the food testing infrastructure facilities are comparatively less in the north-eastern States and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government in this regard;

(b) the details of central assistance provided to the Assam Government to set up food testing Infrastructure and improve manpower; and

(c) whether the Government has taken several initiatives regarding food safety and consumer empowerment in the country and if so, the details thereof alongwith the initiatives taken for food safety?

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

(a) & (b): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (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.

FSSAI has assisted the state governments by strengthening the food testing ecosystem by implementing the Scheme 'Strengthening of Food Testing System in the Country including provision of Mobile Food Testing Labs'' (SoFTeL). A total grant of Rs 92.63 crore has been released under the Central Sector Scheme to the of North Eastern States during 2016-2023 out of which Rs 18.57 crore has been released to the State of Assam for strengthening of food testing infrastructure.

Further, a total grant of Rs. 96.67 Crore has also been sanctioned under (Memoranda of Understanding) MoU from 2020-21 to 2023-24 for strengthening of food testing infrastructure in the North Eastern States out of which 21.96 Crore has been released to the

State of Assam.

FSSAI has also introduced the Mobile Food Testing Laboratory (MFTL) referred to as 'Food Safety on Wheels' (FSW). These FSWs are equipped with basic infrastructure for on-spot testing of adulteration in various food commodities. Currently, FSSAI has sanctioned 70 FSWs to North Eastern States out of which 23 FSWs are sanctioned for the State of Assam.

Further, Ministry of Food Processing Industries has informed that under PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) the North-Eastern region receives prioritized financial assistance for setting-up /upgradation of Food Testing Laboratories to address its unique challenges. For Non-government entities in General Areas term loans provided by banks cover at least 20% of the total project cost. However, this requirement is reduced to 10% for projects in Difficult Areas, including the North-Eastern region. Similarly, non-government entities are required to contribute at least 20% of the total project cost as equity in General Areas, whereas in the North-Eastern region, the equity contribution is reduced to 10%. Additionally, in terms of financial assistance, grants for equipment cover up to 50% of the cost of eligible equipment for private organizations in General Areas, but up to 70% in Difficult/ North-Eastern Areas. The implementation schedule also provides additional flexibility for projects in NER. While projects in General Areas must be completed and operationalized within 24 months from the date of approval, those in the North-Eastern Region (NER) and other Difficult Areas are given an extended timeline of 30 months.

(c): The details of initiatives taken by FSSAI regarding food safety and consumer empowerment in the country are as below:-

-  FSSAI has empowered consumers by providing a digital grievance redressal mechanism through the 'Food Safety Connect" mobile application. This platform allows consumers to report food safety violations, register complaints related to food quality and report any unlicensed or unregistered food businesses they come across.
-  The FSSAI has introduced a nation-wide campaign 'Eat Right India' movement in 2018 with a focus on preventive and promotive healthcare through social and behavioral change. This initiative is built on three core pillars - Eat Safe, Eat Healthy and Eat Sustainable.
-  A campaign called 'Aaj se Thoda Kam' encourages consumers to gradually reduce their intake of fat, salt and sugar through dietary modifications.
-  FSSAI through its YouTube channel has created a dedicated playlist 'How to check for adulteration' containing more than 70 short videos for checking adulteration.
-  FSSAI has also launched several social media campaigns, including Monday Motivation, Recipe Ravivaar, Know Your Food Labels, Adulteration Awareness, and the Myth Busters series. These campaigns aim to empower consumers with the knowledge they need to make informed choices about food safety and nutrition.
-  Further, various online challenges, like - "Healthy Recipe Contest: Ghar Ki RasoiTasty Bhi, Healthy Bhi," Tadke Bina Zaika (without the use of visible fat), Indigenous Food Challenge National Low Salt Cooking Challenge have also been conducted in order to spread awareness among the citizens of the country to reduce consumption

of fat, salt and sugar.

-  Additionally, resources like the DART Book provide simple, at-home tests for detecting food adulterants, while initiatives such as Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs) utilize mobile testing vans to reach remote areas, offering food testing and raising awareness about food safety issues.
-  'Magic Box' is a food safety kit which consists of reliable "quick screening tests" that a common person can perform at the household level, enabling a broad assessment of potential adulteration in their food in cases of doubt.

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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                                                                    |