The government’s food safety wing will roll out a mobile food testing laboratory in Patna by the end of next month, to collect food samples and conduct on-spot tests.
According to the officials, the mobile laboratory will go to people’s doorsteps to check for adulteration in food, create awareness on the dos and don’ts on handling food, and how to check food adulteration at home. The laboratory will conduct tests for common adulterants in milk, water, edible oil and other food items.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has allocated two mobile laboratories to the food safety wing. Each of the labs cost around Rs 40 lakh. The first laboratory will be handed over to the food safety wing in a month while the second will reach Bihar in three-four months.
The mobile food testing laboratory will be equipped with milk analyser, hot air oven, hot plate, mixer grinder, digital weighing scale, digital multi parameter hand-held meter, power generator, air conditioner and refrigerator. Five personnel, including a lab assistant and technician, will be assigned to the units.