Hooghly, 02 November (H.S.): Hooghly district may soon become less dependent on Kolkata for testing the quality and safety of food products, as an initiative has been taken to establish a dedicated food testing laboratory within the district. The process of identifying approximately 4,000 square feet of land in Chinsurah has been initiated.

A district Food Safety Department official said on Monday that the proposal was discussed during a video conference meeting between the state government and the district administration. Food Safety Department officials have been instructed to identify suitable land for setting up the proposed laboratory.

At present, food samples collected from different parts of Hooghly district have to be sent to Kolkata for testing. As a result, receiving laboratory reports often takes considerable time. The establishment of a local testing facility is expected to speed up the examination of samples related to food adulteration, quality and safety.

According to information available, identifying suitable land is an important step in the process. Once the land is finalised, the proposal will be forwarded to the state government for consideration. The project will subsequently require the necessary financial and administrative approvals, along with the completion of formalities involving the Public Works Department (PWD).

Once operational, the laboratory is expected to facilitate the testing of food samples collected from sweet shops, bakeries, restaurants, food manufacturing units and local markets. It will also help authorities respond more quickly to complaints regarding food adulteration and quality violations.

Notably, during Food Safety Week in early September, more than 200 restaurants and food establishments across the district were inspected. More than half of the inspected establishments were reportedly issued notices, while food samples were collected and sent to Kolkata for laboratory testing. Delays in receiving the test reports have further highlighted the need for a dedicated food testing laboratory within Hooghly district.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey