FSSAI suspends 2 MP labs for 6 mths
Krishna Digital Material Testing Laboratory in Bhopal, and QTTL Lab Pvt Ltd in Indore indulging in practices not permitted under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Rules and Regulations
image for illustrative purpose
New Delhi: In its drive to eliminate substandard testing, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has suspended two Madhya Pradesh-based chemical and biological testing laboratories for six months with immediate effect.
The two laboratories are Krishna Digital Material Testing Laboratory, Bhopal, and QTTL Lab Private Limited, Indore, official sources told Bizz Buzz.
In accordance with Regulation 8(1)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards (Recognition and Notification of Laboratories) Regulations 2018, the FSSAI carried out surprise audits of the two laboratories. The objective was to monitor and review their functioning, the sources said.
After going through all the records and observations of the surprise audit teams, it was observed that the laboratories were indulging in practices not permitted under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Rules and Regulations.
Accordingly, show-cause notices were issued to them, but their responses were not found to be satisfactory.
Food testing and analysis is an essential part of the food safety ecosystem to assure that the food is safe to consume. For the same, the FSSAI recognizes and notifies the food laboratories accredited with the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
NABL is an accreditation body, with its accreditation system established in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011. NABL provides voluntary accreditation services to testing laboratories, calibration laboratories, medical testing laboratories, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers.
NABL has been established with the objective of providing the government, industry associations, and industry in general with a scheme of conformity assessment body's accreditation.
The FSSAI notifies food laboratories and research institutions accredited by NABL or any other accreditation agency for the purposes of carrying out analysis of samples by food analysts.
It may be recalled that the FSSAI is on a drive to streamline and clean up the testing processes nationwide. A few weeks ago, it had suspended 13 food laboratories for six months for not uploading the regulatory food samples tested there on https://infolnet.fssai.gov.in. INFoLNET stands for Indian Food Laboratory Network.
