Kochi, Jan 15 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying George Kurian will inaugurate a state-of-the-art food testing laboratory in Kochi on Saturday, marking a significant step in strengthening quality assurance infrastructure for Kerala’s dairy and food sectors.

The facility has been set up through a collaboration between Milma (Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd) and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

The laboratory, established under the NDDB CALF (Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food) Limited, is located at the Ernakulam Regional Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union (ERCMPU) campus at Edappally.

The Kochi facility will function as a branch of NDDB CALF Limited and will adhere to the same stringent professional and quality standards followed by NDDB’s other laboratories across the country.

In the initial phase, the laboratory will cater primarily to the testing requirements of the dairy industry in Kerala and neighbouring states, with facilities already in place for comprehensive quality and safety testing of milk and milk products.

According to ERCMPU Chairman C.N. Valsalan Pillai, the scope of the laboratory’s services will be expanded in a phased manner to include testing of food and agricultural commodities such as spices, fruits, vegetables, bakery products, ready-to-eat foods, fish, and allied products.

The laboratory has received accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), New Delhi, ensuring compliance with nationally recognised testing standards.

NDDB CALF Managing Director Dr Rajesh Nair said the Kochi laboratory, equipped with modern infrastructure and advanced instrumentation, would also support State government departments and food safety authorities by providing scientific testing services aimed at mitigating food safety risks.

NDDB CALF Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the NDDB, headquartered in Gujarat's Anand.

For over 17 years, it has been providing analytical testing, research and advisory services to the dairy, food and agricultural sectors, as well as regulatory authorities.

--IANS

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