The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered all notified laboratories to strengthen their testing infrastructure for organic products and apply for recognition from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
The move comes after the Indian government decided to promote organic products in the country and establish a national level cooperative society for organic products.
“It has been decided by the government to promote organic products in India by encouraging and strengthening cooperative societies. The success of this depends on the reliable testing to ensure their authenticity of the organic products. Therefore, all food testing laboratories need to optimize their facilities and procedures to handle organic testing efficiently and accurately,” FSSAI said in its order.
The FSSAI has directed laboratories to review their current capabilities and take necessary measures to enhance the infrastructure and scope of testing for organic products. The FSSAI has also asked laboratories to apply to the National Referral Laboratory of APEDA for participation in proficiency testing as a prerequisite to qualify for pre-export testing of organic products.
