Hyderabad: The Nacharam state food laboratory, Telangana’s only food safety testing facility, has flagged 72 unsafe and 211 substandard products from 3,000 samples tested so far this year. The findings cover a wide range of items, including packaged water, spices, ghee, beverages, ready-to-use ingredients, and cooked food from hostels, canteens, hotels, and roadside eateries.
Among the unsafe samples, most are cooked foods, said J Vani, scientific officer at the lab. “Samples containing banned substances like synthetic colours or pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella are marked unsafe. These mostly come from inspections in various districts,” Vani explained.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) prohibits a range of harmful substances, including synthetic dyes, heavy metals like lead and mercury, and naturally occurring toxins. Artificial sweeteners, harmful dyes, non-food-grade materials, and other hazardous adulterants are also banned.
Nacharam lab, which handles all district-level inspection samples, conducts 7-10 tests per sample, covering chemical and microbiological analyses. However, with a backlog of over 1,500 samples, inspections are limited. Efforts are underway to increase annual testing capacity from 3,000 to 24,000 samples per year.
To enhance its food safety infrastructure, the state plans to modernise the Nacharam lab and establish new facilities in Warangal, Nizamabad, and Mahabubnagar. Additionally, five mobile food testing labs will soon be deployed.
FSSAI also bans practices like using calcium carbide for fruit ripening, methanol in beverages, and antibiotics in meat and seafood. Foods with microbial or chemical contamination, including decomposed or rotting materials, are strictly prohibited.
