A food-testing facility on wheels has been on the rounds of Chandigarh for almost two years now. The UT food safety department developed this van in 2016 to check adulteration and, after Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) appreciated it, the idea caught on in the entire country.
This mobile laboratory is a one-stop solution for the city residents who need to know the purity of their daily food. Its crew of two technicians and a helper travels to five places in Chandigarh. It stands at the Sector-22 civil hospital on Mondays, Sector-8 civil dispensary on Tuesdays, Sector-40 civil dispensary on Wednesdays, the Sector-45 civil hospital on Thursdays, and the Manimajra civil hospital on Friday.
The van also visits housing societies as and when the resident welfare associations require. It remains at each venue from 11am to 5pm, before returning to the food safety department office in Sector 16.
Items on the hit list
Laboratory technician Kavaljit Singh said: “The most-tested product? It’s the milk samples that people bring to us. It’s a rare occasion when they bring packed milk, as most of the times, it is the loose product they doubt. Also, the chances of getting water-diluted milk are higher when one receives it from open canisters. The next most tested item is pulses, as these can be adulterated easily with chalk powder and are polished with chemicals for artificial lustre.
Quick process
Consumers have to first register their details on the spot. The team requires their name, contact details, including address, and the food item that is to be tested. In case of milk, people should specify whether it is of a buffalo or a cow, and whether it is double-toned, skimmed, toned, full-cream, or mixed.”
The most-used machine aboard the van is the milk tester. Of its two parts, the first reads the ratio of the sub-ingredients and confirms whether these are present in amounts specified by the FSSAI. The second part confirms adulteration. Pulses are mixed with certain chemicals to ascertain the presence of adulterants. The entire process, be it for the testing of milk, pulses, or any other food product, does not exceed 20 minutes. The milk sample is first brought to room temperature before being tested, which takes not more than two minutes.
Results are out
The results are delivered on the spot. The printed reports state the level of adulteration of the tested sample, including the adulterants it was tested for. In case of a failed report, the consumer can approach the consumer court with the printed results as a proof against the seller. The laboratory’s job is limited to producing the report. The issue is to be taken up by the consumers themselves. Along with the results, the consumers are also handed a receipt for their payment.
Food samples that require intensive testing are forwarded to the designated officer and food safety licensing authority. A record of the daily reports goes to the licensing authority, and a nodal officer inspects it.
Cost-effective testing
In order to get milk samples tested, a consumer will have to shell out nothing more than Rs 20. Jasvir Kaur, another lab technician, said, “When it comes to pulses, the cost for testing against each possible adulterant is Rs 20.”
Ample storage
At first glance, it’s difficult to judge from the size of the van the kind of room it has inside. It’s tough also to guess its infrastructure and storage capacity for equipment and samples (some samples brought for testing need cold storage). Even after adjusting several drawers, a refrigerator, pedestal fans and a long countertop holding food sample testing machines, a cylinder, and fire extinguisher, the van is still left with ample space for three-member crew to move around.
With milk being the most tested product, the consumers coming to the mobile laboratory number from eight to 10 daily. The consumers coming up with pulses don’t surpass 13 to 14 cases a month. It is closely followed by the demand for testing several other products in the laboratory. Hey Chandigarh, with a mobile testing laboratory in your neighborhood, why take the chances of being fooled by the shopkeepers?
Box:
Schedule of mobile lab
Monday |Civil Hospital, Sector 22
Tuesday | Civil Dispensary, Sector 8
Wednesday | Civil Dispensary, Sector 40
Thursday | Civil Hospital, Sector 45
Friday | Civil Hospital, Manimajra
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Products tested
Items |Tested for
Milk | Fat, urea, starch, glucose, neutraliser
Desi Ghee | Margarine
Cheese |Starch
Mustard oil |Argan oil, castor oil
Pulses |Metanil yellow colour, lead chromate, chalk powder
Jaggery | Metanil yellow colour, washing soda
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