In the face of the challenge of addressing food adulteration and safety with eateries mushrooming all over Jharkhand, two additional food testing laboratories will soon be set up at two different locations in the State in the next financial year. With the additional laboratories, the number of food testing institutions will increase to three thus to some extent taking off the burden of the only Government-operated State Food Laboratory in Ranchi.
The State-owned laboratory situated at Namkom is currently overburdened with 100 to 150 samples submitted every month to examine adulteration and safety of a food item for consumption. The new laboratories will be set up to cater to the needs of Santhal Pargana and North Chotanagpur regions of Jharkhand.
“We have chosen Dumka that will address the needs of Santhal and another one is yet to be finalised, however, Dhanbad could be another place for setting up the lab. A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between State Government and Government of India after it is approved by respective cabinets to set up lab as well as to upgrade the existing laboratory,” said Director-in-Chief (Food), Dr Praveen Chandra.
As the respective Cabinets will be discussing the matter of strengthening the hands of Food Safety Officers of Jharkhand, the cost for new installations and upgrading the existing food laboratory at Ranchi will be shared between the State and Central Government in the ratio of 25:75.
The new laboratories would address the primary concern of timely submission of food samples collected by Food Safety Officers, who need to rush to Ranchi with the samples collected from any part of the State. Although submission of samples were made on time without any aberrations setting up food testing facilities elsewhere was still needed to expedite the process of conviction of offenders of food adulteration and sellers of food unfit for consumption.
“This will fast pace entire process as testing takes time. With less number of cases at the disposal of the laboratory at Ranchi test results will come out in relatively less time,” asserted Chandra. Nonetheless, the existing laboratory is in dire needs of renovation and the directorate health has to travel miles before the lab at Namkom could be rated among the best in the class in India.
The only government owned laboratory has been given one-star by Government of India in terms of infrastructure and performance. Food safety in Jharkhand has been so far a compromised activity due to a myriad of problems that includes framing service rules which is needed to build up much needed human resource for curbing adulteration and ensuring food safety.
“We will do a gap analysis to find out what needs to be done for upgrading the lab. We have to frame service rules, upgrade equipments at the laboratory, create additional posts and many more things,” maintained the Director-in-Chief (Food). Notably, the quantum of funding is yet unknown as both the centre and State has to make provisions in the budget likely to be presented later this month.
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