Health Minister flags off 19 mobile food testing vans

To enhance outreach and conduct surveillance activities even in the far-flung areas

On his recent visit to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, flagged off 19 Mobile Food Testing Vans (Food Safety on Wheels) to supplement the food safety ecosystem across the country.

While FSSAI is working towards having more food testing labs both in the public as well as private sector, it is also implementing a Central Sector Scheme namely, Strengthening of Food Testing System (SoFTel) in the country, which includes provision of Mobile Food Testing Laboratories to provide mobile units for food testing to reach out to the consumers through as many touch points as possible.

These mobile units are called “Food Safety on Wheels”. Apart from conducting simple tests for common adulterants in milk, water, edible oil and other items of food of daily consumption, these mobile units are also being used for awareness building around food safety, hygiene and promoting healthy eating habits in citizens at large and for conducting training and certification programme for food handlers and supervisors in food businesses, particularly petty food businesses.

In addition, these mobile units help the field functionaries in the States to enhance their outreach and conduct surveillance activities even in far-flung areas.

So far 90 mobile units have been delivered and 28 more have been sanctioned for delivery shortly to the States/UTs across the country. Out of these 28 mobile units, 19 units (Chattisgarh-1, Gujarat-5, Jharkhand-1, Kerala-6, Madhya Pradesh-3, Rajasthan -1 & West Bengal-2) were flagged of by the Health Minister recently.