Mobile labs to test food quality ahead of Diwali

Chennai: Get ready to eat healthy when you eat out as the ‘food

safety

on wheels’ — a van that checks the

quality

of

food

and its ingredients out on the streets — was launched by the food safety department in Chennai on Friday. The van with all modern equipment can test the quality of

oil

,

ghee

,

water

, milk,

sweets

and savouries.

Of the 33 samples from 17 food vendors, including hotels and sweet manufacturers in and around T Nagar, tested on Friday, one ghee sample was found substandard and adulterated with vegetable fat. The sample will be tested further in a

lab

and based on the report, action will be taken against the ghee manufacturer.

While the van will test samples from sweet shops in various localities till Diwali, after the festival, residents can get samples from their homes tested in the mobile labs too.

Samples from shops such as Adyar Ananda Bhavan, Venkateshwara Boli Stall, Gomathi Shankar Bhavan, The Grand Sweets and Snacks, Hot and Spot, Sri Kasturi Sweets, Gandhiji Hot Chips and Sweets, Balaji Bhavan, Hotel Virudunagar Aiyanar, Saravana Bhavan, Shri Ganesh Bhavan and Murugan Idli Shop were collected and analysed. The certificates were also provided to them immediately.

“From now, the van will go to various neighbourhoods and commercial areas six days a week and about 30 samples will be picked up daily. We have given them equipment such as refractometer and reagents to run quality tests on oil, ghee, milk, water and sweets,” said A Ramakrishnan, food safety officer.

The food safety department has predefined standards to check the quality of different types of oil. When the oil is put into the refractrometer and the refractive index varies from the preset guide values, it means the oil is impure and adulterated. Ghee collected will be melted in an oven and then tested. The range for ghee should be between 41 and 44 and if it is not so, it means there could be vanaspathi or other

adulterants

added. For water, the TDS (total dissolved solids) and Ph are checked. TDS should not be higher than 500 and Ph should be between 6 and 8.5 for safe drinking water.

For milk adulteration with water, presence of urea and other chemicals are tested. Sweets and savouries are tested for the quality of oil and ghee used as well as the colouring agents.

The van will stop at Mylapore on Saturday to collect samples.


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword. Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes, messages, and quotes.