India’s Spices Board sets up pesticide residue analysis lab

India’s Spices Board has set up a Quality Evaluation Lab (QEL) at Navi Mumbai for pesticide residue analysis and microbial food safety in spices and its products, as part of its efforts to meet global food safety norms.
The facility was inaugurated by Spices Board Chairman A Jayathilak at Mahape in Navi Mumbai.

The lab would act as a centre of excellence to decontaminate the pesticide residue in spices, the board said in a statement.

"It will also make a national data base on application of pesticide contamination in spices. It will elevate us to meet the global standards and export quality spices," he said.

The OEL , the eighth of such facility established by the agency, is equipped with chromatographic and spectroscopic analytical instrumentations.

Besides, it is equipped with latest immuno, molecular, biochemical and spectroscopic instrumental techniques for the detection and enumeration of micro-organisms in food.

This structural steel building has greater earthquake resistance and being pre-engineered building, minimal water as consumed for construction in this drought year, Jayatilak added.