THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Detection and quantification of pesticides and antibiotic residues in meat, eggs and value-added animal products are set to get a major boost thanks to a significant infrastructural upgrade at the State Institute for Animal Diseases (SIAD) at Palode here.
The new addition, named ‘Toxin Residue Analytical Laboratory’ at SIAD features enhanced facilities to conduct pesticide and antibiotic residue testing in food of animal origin and thereby strengthen the state’s food safety and animal health.
The Rs 3.6-crore facility was funded by the Rebuild Kerala Initiative as part of the Kerala Chicken Project. The division is equipped with sophisticated Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.
“By establishing these rigorous testing protocols, the Animal Husbandry Department aims to ensure that poultry meat supplied through processing units and retail outlets of KEPCO and Kudumbashree is free from harmful toxins and antibiotic residues,” said an official of the Animal Husbandry Department.
The lab forms a subdivision of a larger toxicology complex that has been established at SIAD at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore. Animal Husbandry Department Minister J Chinchurani inaugurated the complex on Wednesday. The minister said the setting up of the facility assumes significance in the wake of increasing instances of food poisoning being reported in the state.
The Toxicology Division at SIAD, the state-level referral laboratory of the Animal Husbandry Department, is responsible for testing animal deaths caused by poisoning and identifying mycotoxins present in animal feed.
Beyond its role in food safety, the new facility will serve as a critical centre for diagnosing toxicological emergencies in livestock and wildlife. As part of the Kerala Antibiotic Resistance Strategic Action Plan, SIAD is actively working in the areas of testing, surveillance, and awareness to control Anti Microbial Resistance, the silent pandemic.
A poster, designed to be displayed in all animal husbandry institutions in Kerala to raise awareness about the global challenge of antibiotic misuse, was also released on the occasion.
Seminar held
As part of disseminating information regarding the new facilities to the public statewide, SIAD hosted a technical seminar for Animal Husbandry Department officials on Wednesday. Subject experts spoke at the seminar titled ‘Recent Trends in Analysis of Pesticides and Antibiotic Residues in Livestock and Poultry Products’