NEW DELHI, Dec 24: Many of the state food laboratories and referral laboratories to which the Government sends food sample for testing do not possess the required capability to do the job, the CAG has found.
Only seven of out of 72 state laboratories and eight out of referral laboratories were accredited to National Accreditation Board (NABL) or any other accreditation agency.
Moreover, several of them did not have a qualified food analyst.
Therefore, the quality of testing by these laboratories cannot be assured, the CAG said in its latest report.
Regulations specify the standards (in term of constituents, nutrients, properties etc) and permissible limits of contaminants, toxins, additives and residues. Laboratories are required to test on such parameters as applicable to specific foods .
However, audit test check of 1,309 import cases revealed that in 303 cases, the laboratories to whom the Regional offices of The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai had sent samples did not perform the check on all prescribed parameters applicable to specific food items, but the regional offices issued no objection certificates for import of these items.
Though the Ministry in its reply to the CAG stated that for the purpose of quick clearance of imported food items, tests were conducted on most common and essential safety parameters without compromising the risk factors,.the CAG has not found the reply satisfactory.
It said that FSSAI had not defined which of its parameters were essential and which were not. Another disturbing fact revealed by the CAG report was that FSSAI had no data on eligible persons who were functioning as food analysts under the erstwhile Prevention of Food Adultration Act, and who continued to function as food analyst after the framing of Food Safety Standard rules. Test check in audit revealed that out of the 16 notified food laboratories to which the authorized officers in Delhi and Mumbai sent 49193 cases of imported food samples for testing during 2015-16, 15 food laboratories did not have analyst qualified by FSSAI board.
In addition to that there was absence of functional food Testing equipment in quite a number of laboratories. In five state laboratories and Central food Laboratries in Kolkata, 18 vital food testing equipment valued at Rs 8.38 crore were purchased between 2003 and 2025, but they were non-functional due to lack of repairs or non-installation. (UNI)
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