FSSAI offers to set up food testing labs in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: Chief executive officer of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Arun Singhal offered to the state government to set up food quality testing laboratories across the state if the government submits the proposals with estimates.

Arun Singhal along with a team of members called on minister for health Vidadala Rajani here on Tuesday to discuss the measures the state government was taking regarding food safety and quality.

He said that the Central government is focusing on the quality of food and its continuous supervision. Referring to the drastic changes in the state brought out by the state government in providing medical services from the village-level, Arun Singhal said that it would do a lot of good to the people. Earlier, minister Rajani said that the government set up a YSR health clinic for every 2,000 population across the state. The government had undertaken massive overhauling of the medical service by constructing new hospital buildings and 16 medical colleges with teaching hospitals across the state. She said that the first food testing laboratory could be set up at Visakhapatnam. ANMs would be given special training to enable them to check food quality.

The minister explained to the visiting team about the Jagananna Gorumuddha, Sampoorna Poshana Plus and other programmes initiated by the state government. She said that volunteer system would be effectively used in the implementation of food safety, health and other issues by formulating a policy.

Principal secretary T Krishna Babu, food safety commissioner J Nivas and other officials were present.