KOCHI: Food Safety on Wheels, the mobile food testing laboratory of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, reached Kochi on Tuesday. The mobile lab will detect adulteration of food items served at public places. It will also promote healthy eating habits among citizens. The mobile lab is an attempt to make the public aware of food safety and hygiene. As part of the drive, a unit of the mobile lab visited Cherai Beach.
The mobile lab will visit all 14 constituencies in the district twice a month. The labs are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to help detect food adulteration. The vehicle is equipped with a digital refractometer to check the quality of coconut oil, a pH meter to measure the pH of water, a milk analyzer to check the quality of milk, and a foil meter to check the ageing of oil.
The mobile unit will inspect public places like parks, markets, and beaches. It will also conduct preliminary testing of samples seized by food safety officers from retailers. If required, the samples will be sent to advanced labs for further testing. A team consisting of a technician, a food safety officer and a driver are accompanying the mobile unit.