FSSAI to invest Rs 20 crore for rapid food testing kits

Testing kits and devices will be provided to field officers through the State governments. 

FSSAI ( Food Safety & Standards Authority of India)  will invest over Rs 20 crore to get rapid food testing kits or devices for state-level field officers across the country. So far, FSSAI has approved thirty rapid food testing kits as well as devices under the recently finalized regulations for sanction of these items & methods that intend to strengthen the food testing ecosystem in India.

 But interestingly, only 2 out of 30 rapid kits & devices are indigenously manufactured while the rest are imported, despite several research and scientific institutions in India are engaged in development of such kits & devices.

 CEO of FSSAI, Pawan Agarwal said, “Food Safety & Standards Authority of India has initiated steps so that indigenously developed devices & kits are validated & approved under its regulations on a fast track basis. We would spend over Rs. 20 crore & procure rapid food testing kits and devices”.

 He said, “There is a market potential of Rs. 1000 crore for such devices and kits in India alone. Once, such kits & devices are extensively used for regulatory purposes; food industry will also start using them for internal quality assurance & quality control purposes”. 

The apex food regulator further said that the kits and devices will be given to field officers through the State governments. Different States will also buy such kits & devices from Government e marketplace or (GeM) website to make them widely available with enforcement officials.