Pangnyu Phom inspects Nagaland’s only food laboratory

Dimapur, Sep. 20 (EMN): Minister for Health and Family Welfare S Pangnyu Phom visited the State Public Health Laboratory Kohima, the only food testing laboratory in the state on September 20.

The minister was accompanied by his wife and senior officials of the department, informed an update received on Friday. He inspected the progress and working system of the State Food Laboratory which was recently upgraded to FSSAI level.

Under strengthening of food testing laboratory of centrally sponsored scheme (CSS), FSSAI, the state food laboratory is equipped with high-end equipments having the capacity to test food safety parameters like heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins, antibiotics, crop contaminants, etc., on food items under Food Safety & Standards Regulations, 2011, read the update.

Phom informed the public to avail Food Safety on Wheels facility, an FSSAI-initiated scheme to provide mobile units which will help in dissemination of information and act as a platform for getting food testing to reach out to the consumers through as many touch point as possible. He urged food business operators (FBOs) to get the testing and certification of food items before it is made available for consumption to prevent food hazard.

The minister also visited the office of chief medical officer in Kohima.