Adulterators beware, lab on wheels will test food samples

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 14

Come July and the ‘Food testing van’ will be in the city. Residents will be able to get food samples checked in the van, which will be in the city for a month.

It will go to various parts of the city where residents will be able to get food samples checked and the report will be given on the spot.

The van is funded by the Central government and follows the guidelines of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The van has already visited Amritsar, Bathinda and Jalandhar. If the idea clicks, then the Health Department might consider making it a permanent feature in the city.

“The van will be arriving in the city in July and will stay here for a month. It has already covered some districts in the state. The place where the van will visit will be announced a day prior so that the people are aware of its arrival in their area. City residents can get food samples tested for Rs 50,” said the Civil Surgeon, Dr Parwinder Pal Singh Sidhu.

The food safety van will detect fats and adulterants, including urea, sucrose, starch, adulteration in milk and synthetic colours. It will also conduct other tests for checking adulteration in food items. The van is fully equipped with analytical instruments, including milk analyzer, hot air over, hot plate, multi-parameter hand-held meter, digital refractometer, mixer-grinder and digital weighing scale.

As many as 40 different types of tests on the food can be conducted in the van and the report will be available on the spot.

“Reports of samples will be taken into consideration while taking action against shopkeepers selling sub-standard food. The consumer himself, whose sample has failed the test, can lodge a complaint with the Health Department,” said Dr Sidhu.

Food adulteration 

• Misbranded food items are those which do not have proper labeling and mislead customers. 
• Substandard products are those which do not have contents according to the standard level.
• Unsafe products are not fit for human consumption.

Penalties under Food Safety Act

• Penalty is imposed according to the report given by the lab.
• Expiry of product: Upto Rs 2 lakh.
• Misbranded product: Upto Rs 3 lakh.
• Sub-standard product: Upto Rs 5 lakh.
• Misleading packaging: Upto Rs 10 lakh. 
• Unsafe products: Impris-onment from one year to six months and fine according to the gravity of offence.