Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: In a bid to enhance food safety and quality, the Government on March 23 announced that it will establish 100 new NABL-accredited food testing laboratories across the country in the financial year 2025-26. Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh Bittu, said during an event in Bathinda that the ministry will financially support 100 food testing labs.
Bittu inaugurated a world-class food testing laboratory at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, highlighting the critical role of food testing in ensuring food safety. “Testing is vital for ensuring that food products meet safety standards and are free from harmful contaminants and pathogens,” he said.
The initiative is part of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), which has allocated Rs 503.47 crore for 205 laboratory projects. Out of these, 169 projects have already been completed, with Rs 349.21 crore disbursed.
These labs play a crucial role in meeting the requirements of major regulatory bodies such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Export Inspection Council of India (EIC), the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), and international agencies like the USFDA and EU regulations.
Farmers and producers in sectors such as citrus fruits, green peas, cauliflower, carrots (both fresh and frozen), milk and milk products, basmati rice, wheat, millets like bajra and sorghum, mustard and sunflower oilseeds, and farm-produced shrimp will benefit from these state-of-the-art facilities.
These laboratories help ensure compliance with global standards, support exports, and improve the overall quality of food products, ultimately contributing to higher income for farmers and job creation, particularly for skilled technical personnel.
Elaborating on the achievements of the food processing sector in Punjab, Ravneet Singh shared that the Ministry has approved 24 cold chain projects totaling Rs 553 crore, 3 agro-processing cluster projects worth Rs 70 crore, 16 food processing units with an investment of Rs 432 crore, and 10 food testing laboratories totaling Rs 48 crore.
Under the PMKSY scheme, 61 projects amounting to Rs 1,557 crore have been approved in Punjab, with a grant of Rs 419 crore.
