SHILLONG: The Food Safety Commissionerate will upgrade the food testing laboratory in the state.
Rs 10 crore will be used for the upgradation the laboratory with the support of Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Joint Commissioner of Food Safety, SN Sangma said, “Once everything is in place, this laboratory will be equipped to take all the parameters of testing of food samples.”
Meghalaya which has only one food testing centre is not capable of testing all the parameters, he said.
However, with the labs being upgraded, the food testing centre will be able to provide the much needed scientific back-up.
The fund allocation has been sanctioned by FSSAI to upgrade the food testing laboratory in which three highly sophisticated equipment will be placed in the chemical section of the laboratory.
He added that the microbiological section of the laboratory will also be renovated and upgraded.
Stating that the fund is for the upgradation, renovation of the lab and purchase of equipment for which manpower support will be given for 7 years, he said, “They (FSSAI) have allocated the fund and the money has been sanctioned and released.”
Informing that 95 per cent of the upgradation work is completed in the chemical section, he said the remaining amount of Rs 50 lakh will be released after the submission of the utilisation certificate.
Apart from the physical support for the lab, the FSSAI will also be providing manpower support in the form of handholding for 7 years to handle the equipment.
Sangma said the expenditure for manpower support is also included in the fund allocation. After the 7 years, the locals will be carrying the work forward.
He pointed out that as per the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, action taken under the act should be backed up by scientific data or reports which are being provided by the food testing laboratory.
Vendors asked to use packaged water
On the other hand, speaking about hygiene when it comes to street food, such as Alu muris and pani puris, Sangma said he has asked the vendors selling the street food in and around Laitumkhrah to use 20 litres of packaged drinking water.
“I instructed them to use 20 litre packaged drinking water and to bring the bottle cap and submit it to me every day to ensure that they use the water. We will try to expand it to Khyndai Lad (Police Bazaar) and the Lady Hydari Park,” he said.
Other than that, the food safety department is also conducting regular checking of hotels and restaurants and sensitising people on hygienic food.
The first ever ‘World Food Safety Day’ was observed on Friday by the Office of the Commissioner of Food Safety.
