Vijayawada: In a significant development, a comprehensive food testing laboratory will be coming up in Tirumala. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will set up the lab at the cost of 20 crore.
State govt signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the FSSAI to set up food testing laboratories in the state. The decision was made in the wake of the recent controversy about the alleged adulterated ghee used in making of Laddu prasadam in Tirumala.
The Supreme Court had directed the Centre to set up a special investigation team (SIT) comprising officials from CBI, FSSAI and state police. In a quick move, the state health department headed by Satya Kumar Yadav of BJP, struck the deal with FSSAI. While major laboratories will be established in Tirumala and Kurnool at a budget of 20 crore each, mobile testing laboratories will come up in 22 districts with a cost of 15 crore.
FSSAI will spend 6.5 crore on infrastructure, 8.46 crore for advanced machinery and another 4.28 crore for setting up micro-biology laboratory in each of the comprehensive food testing laboratories coming up in Tirumala and Kurnool. Besides, basic food testing laboratories will be set up at a cost of 13 crore each in Eluru and Ongole. The MoU was signed by AP food safety commissioner C. Harikiran and FSSAI executive director Inoshi Sharma in New Delhi on Tuesday..
