From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, March 19: Despite talks of the northeast being the gateway to Southeast Asian countries for economic revival, the region does not have a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited food-testing laboratory.
These laboratories conduct tests on eatables meant for export.
As a result, manufacturers and exporters are forced to send their products to Kolkata, which has two such laboratories.
Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry said this at Lok Sabha recently in reply to a question put up by Shillong MP Vincent H Pala.
Without disclosing if the Centre was considering having one such laboratory in the region, the minister said that there was one food-testing laboratory set up by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in Assam for quality inspection and certification for international export of agri-based products.
This laboratory ensures compliance with sanitary and phyto-sanitary requirements, the minister said.
“In addition, the two laboratories in Kolkata also cater to the testing requirements of exports in the region,” the Union minister added.
Puri did not give any firm assurance for setting up an NABL-accredited laboratory in the North East.
“The Centre provides financial and technical support to improve authorised labs to ensure quality control,” he said.
Formal recognition of competence of a conformity assessment body by NABL in accordance with international standards has many advantages including international recognition, access to global market, enhanced customer confidence and satisfaction and cost reduction.
These ultimately help in easier and better export.