100 food testing labs to be set up, says Bittu

To enhance food safety and quality, Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu today announced that the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) would support establishment of 100 new NABL-accredited food testing laboratories across the country during financial year 2025-26.

Inaugurating a world-class food testing laboratory at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bittu said, “Food testing is vital for ensuring that food products meet safety standards and are free from harmful contaminants and pathogens.”

The initiative is part of the government’s broader plan under 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.

The laboratory inaugurated at Bathinda will employ latest technologies for testing pesticide residues, heavy metals, microbiological contaminants and more. With a total project allocation of Rs 253.12 lakh and Rs 191.259 lakh already released, the facility will serve food processors, farmers and food businesses to ensure safety and quality of food products.

Elaborating on achievements of the food processing sector in Punjab, Ravneet Singh said the ministry had approved 24 cold chain projects totalling Rs 553 crore, three agro-processing cluster projects worth Rs 70 crore, 16 food processing units with an investment of Rs 432 crore and 10 food testing laboratories costing Rs 48 crore. Under the PMKSY scheme, 61 projects involving an investment of Rs 1,557 crore have been approved in Punjab, with a grant of Rs 419 crore.