2 Years On, State Food Lab Awaits Staff To Function
Andhra Pradesh’s food-testing shortcomings are also reflected in its 28th position in the Food Safety Index (SFSI) for 2023-24, the lowest among the states. The continuing gap in food-testing capacity assumes significance amid cases of food adulteration in the state
Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh State Food Laboratory headquarters in Visakhapatnam remains an example of the state’s struggle to translate infrastructure investment into functional capacity. Statements that the state-of-the-art food laboratory would be made functional have come and gone, but the facility remains idle more than two years after its inauguration. Built for Rs 4.77 crore and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024, the laboratory was later equipped with chemicals and testing apparatus worth Rs 19 crore. The prolonged failure to put the facility into operation has left the state dependent on private laboratories in Chennai and Hyderabad for food testing, with each sample costing Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 besides the time and logistical burden of sending samples outside the state.
Andhra Pradesh’s food-testing shortcomings are also reflected in its 28th position in the Food Safety Index (SFSI) for 2023-24, the lowest among the states. The continuing gap in food-testing capacity assumes significance amid cases of food adulteration in the state. In 2026, 22 people were hospitalised in Rajamahendravaram between February 16 and 24 after consuming adulterated milk. The death toll later rose to 17, underscoring the grave consequences of food adulteration.
The Visakhapatnam laboratory is equipped with around 60 advanced instruments, including hot-air ovens, muffle furnaces, water baths, LC-MS, GC-MS, ICP-MS, balances, autoclaves and microscopes for testing food quality, chemical contamination, toxic substances and water safety. The facility can test 17 categories of food products, including biscuits, milk, dairy products, edible oils and soft drinks, and was expected to handle nearly 1,000 samples a month once fully operational.
Despite the infrastructure and equipment, the laboratory remains idle because of the staff shortage. At least 75 personnel are required to meet Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms, with 33 posts identified as immediate necessities. Without trained manpower, the laboratory cannot build testing capacity or move towards accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), which is essential for its reports to be legally admissible.
The Deccan Chronicle had exposed the staff crunch and the laboratory’s non-functioning status in September and December 2025, following which officials repeatedly assured that it would be made operational by January 2026. The deadline passed more than seven months ago; August is now nearing its end, but the laboratory is still waiting to become functional.
The government subsequently initiated recruitment, but sources confirmed that some of the newly appointed personnel were diverted to other laboratories, including the one in Tirumala. The diversion has further slowed progress in Visakhapatnam, leaving the facility underutilised despite being fully equipped.
Meanwhile, the food safety department’s work plan for 2025-26 and 2026-27 has mapped districts to private laboratories in Chennai and Hyderabad for both surveillance and legal sample analysis. Andhra Pradesh currently has around 54 food inspectors and 50 to 60 laboratory technicians statewide, compared with more than 250 inspectors each in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, which also have multiple state-run laboratories.
The manpower shortage remains the key hurdle, with the lack of trained personnel preventing regular testing and enforcement against food adulteration. Until adequate staff are appointed, the Visakhapatnam laboratory will remain underutilised and the state will continue to depend on facilities outside Andhra Pradesh.
