Five food testing labs coming up in state

Vijayawada: Thestate government is giving top priority to ensuring a healthy life for its people, health and medical minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav said on Friday. As part of this initiative, the state is establishing five state-level food quality testing laboratories at an estimated cost of Rs 86 crore, with each centre costing around Rs 20 crore. Equipped with advanced machinery, these labs will test food samples to ensure quality standards.

The minister said in statement on Friday said, food laboratories in Tirumala and Visakhapatnam will begin operations within the next month. The labs are being set up under an agreement with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Stating that food safety for devotees visiting Tirumala is important, Yadav said the construction of a dedicated state-level food laboratory in Tirumala is in its final stages and is expected to be operational by the end of next month. The move follows the spurious ghee incident during the previous government’s tenure, which had deeply hurt devotees’ sentiments.

The laboratory, being established near the Tirumala flour mill in a 12,000 sq ft building provided by local authorities, will cost around ₹19 crore and will operate 24/7.

It will test all types of food items, including milk, curd, and other essentials brought from various parts of the country, before they are used in food preparation. Trained staff will be deployed to ensure smooth functioning.

The minister said that the Visakhapatnam state-level food lab will also start functioning next month, with equipment installation in its final stages.

Plans are underway to set up state-level food labs at Guntur Government General Hospital and in Tirupati. Kurnool already has a regional food laboratory, which will be upgraded with a new building. Land identification for the project is in progress.

Public health laboratories in Ongole and Eluru are being modernised at a cost of ₹13 crore, with advanced equipment already ordered.

The minister said that until now, food samples had to be sent to neighbouring states for testing. With these new facilities, Andhra Pradesh will have its own robust network of food testing centres to ensure the safetyand quality of food for its citizens and pilgrims.