In a bid to strengthen the system of food testing, the country's apex food regulator- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has started to use advanced technologies.
The food regulator has adopted several new rapid food testing devices and kits for detection of food-borne pathogens and toxins in the food.
"These devices ensure faster, better, cheaper real-time testing of food. These are expected to become an integral part of quality assurance and control programs in the food industry and also for regulatory and surveillance purposes in 2020," said CEO, FSSAI, Pawan Agarwal.
"We have finalised the regulations for approval of rapid testing devices, kits and methods to strengthen the food testing ecosystem in the country. So far, we have approved 30 rapid food testing kits and devices under these regulations," he said.
"We are also providing these devices to the state governments for use by field officers and get quicker and validated results for tests conducted on different food products such as milk and edible oils, amongst others," he added.
The wider use of rapid food testing kits and devices for food testing would be a game-changer for India in 2020 and build greater public confidence in terms of the available food in the marketplace, he said.
FSSAI has planned to spend over Rs 20 crore and procure rapid food testing kits and devices.
It may be noted that only two out of 30 rapid kits and devices are indigenously manufactured, rest all are imported, despite the fact that many research and scientific institutions are engaged in the development of such kits and devices.
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