KATHMANDU, Aug 3: The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) in a bid to increase the range of providing quality certification to export oriented local food items, has upgraded its food testing labs.
According to the DFTQC, its national food laboratory has received an integrated accreditation certificate from India’s National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Under the new scheme, these two Indian authorities have agreed to approve the DFTQC tested additional 680 parameters of food testing.
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As of now, the FSSAI has accredited the DFTQC for testing of eight foods that include fruit juice, jam, jelly, pickles, ginger, candies, readymade noodles and fresh vegetables and fruits. In the new development, the statutory body has agreed to provide approval to 22 types of foods tested by the DFTQC.
Speaking at a press meet organized by the DFTQC on Sunday, the department’s Spokesperson Mohan Krishna Maharjan said they have extended the scope to accreditation of 814 parameters over the past one year. Of the total, 672 parameters are related to chemicals and 142 parameters are related to microbiological testing. According to Maharjan, the DFTQC’s laboratories can now test 123 types of chemical residues, 11 colours and eight aflatoxins—a group of toxic and carcinogenic compounds that can contaminate various types of agricultural crops.
The DFTQC for the first time received NABL’s accreditation for testing 27 food related parameters in 2012. The DFTQC’s Director General Sanjeev Kumar Karn informed that the number of parameters testing reached 286 in 2024, while this year, additional 528 parameters are added in the list.
“As most of the tested parameters of exported foods are now accredited by India’s authorities, it is expected to help promote export of domestically produced foods,” Karn said.
