Thane, Sep 29: As part of various steps taken to create and invest in an effective food-testing ecosystem in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set up a state-of-the-art National Food Laboratory (NFL) at JNPT, Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai.

The facility was jointly inaugurated by Ms. Rita Teaotia, chairperson, and Arun Singhal, chief executive officer, FSSAI, Today.

This NFL is first in the Western zone and one of its three premier laboratories in the country under the direct administrative control of FSSAI.

It has been established as a result of public-private-partnership (PPP) between FSSAI and M/s Vimta Labs Ltd, a public listed and country’s leading testing and research laboratories for three decades.

The NFL has a comprehensive array of equipment with the latest technologies and facilities to conduct analysis as per global accreditation standards for testing. The lab has the capacity to test 75,000 food samples per year.

The new facility also houses ultra-modern genetically modified food (GM-Food) testing facilities and would also host visiting faculty and trainee officers during training and conferences.

“We are not only committed to providing the right food but also ensure that there is strict implementation of laws and the compliance of standards to assure that citizens have safe and wholesome food,” read a statement from FSSAI. (UNI)