After receiving good response in the tricity, the service of the mobile food-testing laboratory, which was recently started by the Department of Food Safety and Standards, Chandigarh, will now be expanded to city school, college, universities and fruit-vegetable markets.
In a communication to the chairman of the Federation of Sector Welfare Association, Bhaljinder Singh, the Senior Medical Officer (Ortho) at the GMSH- cum- designated in-charge of the Department of Food Safety and Standards, Dr Rajinder K Sharma, has sought cooperation for the initiative.
Dr Sharma stated in the letter that the mobile food-testing laboratory would be taken to various sectors and markets of Chandigarh.
The laboratory will also conduct food tests at medical health institutes of Chandigarh. The department has also announced that various activities like lectures, seminars and meetings will also be conducted by the it.
Emphasis on beverages
During summer, the department will keep a check on non-alcoholic beverages such lemonade, packed water bottles and monitor the quality of various food items such as muskmelon, watermelon, cucumber, meat products, cut fruits and milk products.
Besides milk and the products made from it, other products like turmeric, oils, salt, spices, ghee, pulses, grains are already being tested for any adulteration.
Stamp for meat products
The department has also announced that all shopkeepers selling meat and meat products should have an authorised stamp issued by the doctor in-charge of the slaughter house, Chandigarh. The department has also advised traders not to ripen fruits with banned chemicals.
Advanced EMAT machine in food-testing van
To tighten the noose around dairy farmers and milk vendors who indulge in adulteration, the department has planned to install an advanced electronic milk adulteration tester (EMAT) in the mobile food testing van. Confirming this, Sukhwinder Singh, designated officer, Department of Food Safety and Standards, said, “For our excellent performance, the department was awarded the advanced food testing machine by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India last month.”
“This will be a new addition to the inventory of mobile food testing lab and the machine will be doing a close surveillance of milk. The EMAT will test fat content, protein content, SNF (solid not fat), water content, presence of glucose and electrodes in milk,” informed Sukhwinder Singh.
15 milk samples fail test in month
According to Food and Safety Department officials, in the last one month, of 70 samples of milk and its products that were tested by the food van, 15 samples failed the test.
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