1 lab, 2 states: Telangana’s sole food testing facility delays safety reports by months

HYDERABAD: According to food safety officials in Telangana, the state's only food sample testing laboratory is located in Nacharam, which leads to delays in test results. The laboratory currently caters not only to Telangana, but also to Andhra Pradesh.Officials said the testing process is lengthy, often taking three to four months, as nearly 600 samples are received daily from districts across both states. Each inspection requires multiple samples, further increasing the workload."After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, several trained staff were transferred to AP, but no new posts were created to make up for the shortage. While the lab has adequate machine capacity, the lack of manpower has doubled the workload. We have sought permission from the FSSAI to hire more staff on a contract basis. We also wrote to the AP govt, offering to continue testing its samples if the neighbouring state agrees to bear the costs," said a senior official from the office of the commissioner of health and family welfare. The food safety department conducts two types of sampling: surveillance samples for routine quality checks, and statutory samples for legal action. Officials said that efforts have been made to improve the quality and quantity of statutory samples, as these are essential for prosecution. According to the guidelines, each food safety officer must carry out at least 10 inspections per month. During these inspections, they must collect 15 surveillance samples and 10 statutory samples to strengthen enforcement and legal action against violations.Monthly operations targeting high-risk food business operators (FBOs) were also carried out. These included checks on edible oils, sweets, spices, bakeries and mineral water units. Inspections are also being carried out at e-commerce warehouses, focusing on expiry dates and storage conditions. Improvement notices were issued where violations were found.The department wrote to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to seek approval for new food testing laboratories. While the availability of land has already been communicated, further clearance is still pending. Some districts have been tentatively identified, but no final decision has been made yet. The locations will depend on FSSAI's approval and a need-based assessment,' the official added.Additionally, Telangana currently has one food safety officer per district, a number that officials admit is inadequate for such a large, populous state. Proposals have been sent to the relevant authorities to recruit more staff.