5 more food testing labs launched

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday launched five more state-of-the-art mobile food testing laboratories.

A ceremony was held at the Chief Minister’s House, Peshawar, with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur as chief guest, said a handout.Members of the provincial cabinet, members of the provincial assembly, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development Ikramullah Khan, officials of the Food Department, and representatives of international partner organizations attended the event as well.

During the briefing, it was told that these food testing laboratories would provide free-of-cost testing services for food items in the densely populated districts of the province.It was added that seven mobile food testing laboratories under the KP Food Authority were already offering free food testing services at the divisional headquarters level.

The newly launched Mobile Food Testing Labs established for 90 million rupees, were equipped with modern tools, including milk analyzers, arsenic kits for water, moisture analyzers, digital refractometers, PH meters, and TDS meters.

Through these laboratories, citizens will have access to free quality testing of milk, water, spices, tea, salt, honey, ice cream, juices, and 24 other food items at their doorsteps.The chief minister announced that by June next year, mobile food testing laboratories would be expanded to all districts of the province and later to the tehsil level.

He stated that the provincial government was committed to ensuring the provision of clean, safe, and adulteration-free food items to citizens.Chief Minister instructed that the static food testing laboratory in Peshawar be made operational within one month and assured that the provincial government would provide all necessary resources for this purpose. Once this laboratory becomes operational, all food items in the province will be registered, and no food items will be sold without registration and an NOC from the food testing lab.On this occasion, the chief minister announced the regularization of contract employees of the KP Food Authority.