Chandigarh: Five mobile food-safety laboratories have been deployed across Haryana, allowing consumers to get commonly consumed food items screened for adulteration for just Rs 20, with preliminary results available in about 10-12 minutes.The vans, provided by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), will operate on a rotational basis at markets, bus stands, schools, colleges and other high-footfall locations, additional chief secretary, health and family welfare, Sumita Misra said on Tuesday.Consumers can bring samples of milk, spices, pulses, edible oils and other commonly consumed food products for preliminary testing. A fee of Rs 20 will be charged for each sample.“The objective is to make food safety testing easily accessible to ordinary citizens and, at the same time, strengthen awareness about adulteration and safe food practices,” Sumita Misra said.The mobile laboratories will also double up as field-level enforcement units during fairs, festivals and other large gatherings, where temporary food stalls and vendors operate in large numbers.Food safety officers will collect random samples and conduct preliminary screening on the spot. Samples found suspicious or failing the initial test will be subjected to further action under prescribed food safety regulations.Officials said the mobile units would enable quicker field-level screening and help identify potentially unsafe food without waiting for initial testing at conventional laboratories.The vans will also be used for consumer-awareness programmes covering food adulteration, fortified foods, nutrition labels, hygienic food handling and ways to identify common signs of adulteration or food spoilage.The initiative is part of efforts to strengthen food-safety surveillance while taking testing facilities closer to consumers. It will also support the Centre’s ‘Eat Right India’ initiative by combining testing, enforcement and public education.Sumita Misra said the vans would expand the reach of food-safety surveillance, particularly in markets, educational institutions and mass gatherings, while providing citizens with an inexpensive and quick preliminary testing facility.
