Tasnova Bashar of DOT
Mobile food safety laboratory has been launched for the first time in the country in the intention to ensure food safety through immediate testing of food items and safeguard public health, reports BSS. This mobile food testing lab was implemented by of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with the Food Ministry which was instigated under the project of ‘The Institutionalization of Food Safety in Bangladesh for Safer Food”. The lab was established by Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder at a function held in the capital yesterday.
It was informed in the inauguration event that this mobile laboratory will play a key role in detecting contaminated and degraded food on the spot by providing unique professional lab services to public and thus ensuring safe food for all. the laboratory is able show results about the quality of the products within only one or two minutes, although some tests may take as long as one hour. Officials say many tests, including toxic chemicals, heavy metals, insecticides at harmful level, antibiotic residue, e-coli, salmonella, formaldehyde, formalin and carbide, will be performed straightway by this mobile lab.
Noting that the government has already enacted the Food Safety Act-2013 Sadhan Chandra Majumder said, “About Tk 70 lakh is required to build a mobile testing lab. Taka 50 crore project is enough to launch the mobile testing lab at district level”. Stressing the need for introducing mobile testing lab at upazila level, the food minister said the first mobile lab has created a new horizon in the country’s food safety campaign.