AP Food Testing Lab in Vizag Will Be Functional From January
The laboratory had been built at a cost of ₹4.77 crore
Visakhapatnam: After 11 years of the united Andhra Pradesh getting divided, AP government is finally taking steps to operationalise the AP State Food Testing Laboratory (APSFTL) in Visakhapatnam from January 2026 onwards.
Though the facility had been formally inaugurated in Vizag nearly two years ago, it has taken up no testing work.
The laboratory had been built at a cost of ₹4.77 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it on February 25, 2024. Subsequently, approximately ₹20 crore had been spent on additional construction. In addition, the expenditure on equipment and chemicals amounted to ₹5 crore. Yet, the laboratory has not undertaken any food testing operations.
Deccan Chronicle highlighted this aspect in September. This led to the state government initiating corrective measures, including issue of notifications for filling up several sanctioned positions. With equipment installed, staff in place, and procurement of chemicals underway, the laboratory is to begin operations by next month.
According to senior officials, APSFTL will need to operate for six months to a year before FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) and NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) conduct their inspections and provide accreditations. Their certifications are essential for the lab's test reports to be legally admissible in cases involving food adulteration and safety violations.
The momentum for operationalising the laboratory reportedly increased after Dr. Amit Sharma, director of quality assurance at FSSAI, visited the APSFTL recently. He expressed concern over the prolonged inactivity and flagged additional issues, including the non-utilisation of a Food Safety Awareness vehicle that has also remained idle for months.
In the absence of a functional state laboratory, Andhra Pradesh has been relying on private laboratories or the Hyderabad State Food Laboratory for testing food samples collected during inspections and raids in AP. Hyderabad has effectively served as the state’s primary testing centre for over a decade since Telangana separated from AP. The dependency on private labs is a financial burden, with testing costs ranging from `10,000 to `15,000 per sample.
According to FSSAI data, Andhra Pradesh currently has only one state food laboratory in the public sector – the non-functional Visakhapatnam facility. There are four private labs operating within the state. This gap has had a negative impact on Andhra Pradesh’s performance on the State Food Safety Index.
Officials believe the latest steps are the first concrete progress in years. They hope the laboratory will finally be fully operational at the earliest.