The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Food quality control lab to be expanded

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Saturday, May 03, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Food quality control lab to be expanded

HYDERABAD: Even before its Rs.4.8-crore Food Analytical and Quality Control Laboratory -- the first in the State to be established under private-public partnership -- is set for launch shortly, the AP State Agro-industries Corporation Ltd is planning its expansion.

The lab will analyse samples received from food-processing industries, farmers and consumers and assist industries to develop/implement quality management. Located at Chintal, on the city outskirts, the lab will offer a 20 per cent discount to farmers, K. Bhoopal Reddy, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, told The Hindu.

Referral unit

He said proposals were afoot to upgrade the lab as a referral unit by installing a mass spectrometer for detecting the pesticidal residue at PB (parts per billion) level, at a cost of about Rs. 2 crore. Mr. Reddy stated that the lab had received a grant of Rs. 1.8 crore from the Food Processing Ministry while the State contributed land and infrastructure.

Ascho Industries Ltd. has been identified through tenders to operate the lab on a revenue-sharing basis for an amount of Rs. 2.08 crore over a period of ten years. The work was completed in a year’s time. He said small and medium food-processing units besides enterprising farmers could get their samples tested at the lab at ‘affordable’ costs, without incurring huge costs in establishing such facility. It would provide testing as per international standards in 60-70 parameters of various food products.

According to Mr. Reddy, G.V.R. & Co of Tirupati has been finalised to run and operate the pack house with vapour heat treatment facility for mangoes at Tirupati. No bids were received for the Nuzvid unit.

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