An expert two-member panel from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has informed the High Court that state’s food testing laboratories are not functioning to provide desired results.
In compliance to court directions, a team of FSSAI comprising Dr Lalith R Gowda, former chief Scientist and Director Referral Food Lab, Mysore and Shailender Kumar, Assistant, director, quality Assurance, FSSAI, New Delhi visited the two state labs and filed its report in High Court.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation on food adulteration, a division bench of Chief Justice Baddar Durrez Ahmad and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey took the report on record.
The report divulges that in both labs-- Public Health Lab Patoli, Jammu and Public Health lab, Dalgate here— do not carry out any tests for contaminant such pesticide residues, heavy metals, veterinary drug residues, crop contaminants and naturally occurring toxic substances.
The report unveils that a wide spectrum of food categories listed in the Food Safety and Standard Rules( FSS) and regulations, are tested, but the testing parameters are limited.
The two labs, the report indicates, are with minor equipment which includes electronic balance, muffle furnace, butyro-refractometer and tintometer. “The current analytical facilities and chemical testing capabilities of the labs do not fulfill the requirements of the FSS act and rules”.
The court was informed that currently both the labs have no state-of-the –art equipment necessary for pesticide, heavy metals and drug residues analysis in place nor a competent trained manpower to operate the equipment.
The court was apprised that a major limiting factor towards fulfilling the requirements of testing of food samples is the non-availability of sophisticated instruments.
While the report indicated that a major constraint observed by the team is the space required for installing high-end equipment at Srinagar lab, it added the required space is available in the adjacent Forensic Science Laboratory that now belongs to Drugs and Food Control Organization.
“However, the lab is constrained from using this space owing to the unauthorized occupation by the belt forces,” the report said.
The report indicates that neither of the labs carries out Microbiology testing of foods for any of the hygiene and safety parameters listed by FSSAI.
It says “there exists neither a functional microbiology lab nor a qualified microbiologist to carry out the microbiology testing”.
Another major constraint, the report said, is the lack of a qualified food microbiologist. The FSSAI recommends qualified food microbiologists to be appointed for both the labs at the earliest.
The report, however, indicates that with the available instruments, the labs undertake preliminary food analysis such as moisture, crude fiber, ash, milk analysis and qualitative tests for added color, sweeteners and adulterants of milk and spices and BRR of oils and fats.
At Srinagar lab five Food Safety Officers (FSOs) have been inducted into the lab and there are two certified Food analysts. Both labs have technically competent analysts but insufficient in number to meet the quantum of samples received for analysis.
While the court made FSSAI as party in the PIL, it directed Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education to file compliance on the steps taken for appointment of Food Safety Commissioner FSC on next date of hearing , seeking his personal appearance also.
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