Haryana set to establish 21 food testing labs, tighten noose on defaulters

A delay in gathering food samples and the pendency of testing such samples has necessitated the setting up of more food testing labs in Haryana. Additionally, an acute shortage of resources has emerged as a factor behind the delay in the timely testing of food samples.
It has been observed that people have consumed poor-quality food and beverages and the report of the sample test comes later. Haryana currently has only two food labs to test samples in-state. In view of this, the government has decided to set up 21 new food testing labs. The two Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Department currently has labs at Chandigarh and Karnal and is entirely dependent on these two for testing.
The department, which is responsible for ensuring quality, unadulterated food items, recently contacted the government with regard to the establishment of more labs in the state. The FDA was carved out of the Health Department in January 2011 and now functions independently.
Of the 21 new labs to be set up, five state-of-the-art labs with all facilities will be set up in the Gurgaon, Faridabad, Hisar, Ambala and Rohtak districts. Poor quality of foods and beverages led to the accumulating woes of the department and put the lives of residents in Haryana districts under the National Capital Region (NCR) at stake.