Imphal, September 22: Non functioning of State Food Testing Laboratory under the Medical Department, among other factors is said to be impeding adherence to directives from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for assessing whether edible oils available/used by the State consumers contain animal fat extracts or not.

Inspite of the lack of food testing mechanism in the State, Joint director of State Food Testing Laboratory Dr RK Rupachandra issued a chilling reminder to the consumers that food items particularly those imported from the Myanmar side are highly doubtful as neither manufacture dates are inscribed in the containers/packages nor expiry date mentioned in addition to usage of Myanmar dialects and scripts posing hindrances to food inspectors.

Such food items are legally not allowed for sale in market places, the official maintained insisting that all consumable items need to clearly inform manufacture and expiry dates, and ingredients of the food items in Roman scripts for universal understanding.

According to informed source, the union Ministry had recently intimated State Government officials to test product contents and usage safety of edible oils procured from Myanmar.

In compliance with the Central missive authorities of the Food Testing Laboratory relayed to Chief Medical Officers of respective districts to submit relevant reports whether edible oil found/used under their respective jurisdictions contains animal fats.

The exercise, however, could not serve the purpose as till date neither such reports are provided to the laboratory officials and technicians nor are there any food inspectors to collect the food (oil) samples necessary for the laboratory testing which is ironically non-functional at the moment, the source conveyed while conceding that under such crippling circumstance consumers' safety cannot be guaranteed and contents of the imported edible oils still remains uncertain.

Adding to the sorry state of food testing mechanism/facility, the source recounted establishment of the State Food Testing Laboratory in 1994 at the DM College of Science before being shifted to the erstwhile District Hospital.

With the demolition of District Hospital to facilitate construction of the Khwairamband Keithel complex the Laboratory had to be shifted again to the campus of Manipur State AIDS Control Society in 2004 where laboratory equipments are being tugged away in a single room.

Apart from a microscopist engaged as the food analyst, the Laboratory is being looked after by a food technologist and a laboratory assistant both employed on contract basis, the source detailed and added that construction works for a new Laboratory enclosure in the MACS campus had also been ceased at the current juncture.

Amid continued health threat posed to the consumers owing to the defunct laboratory in the State food samples sent to a similar facility in Guwahati are not reliable as test results are mostly conveyed in an informal manner thereby restricting State authorities from making the finding reports public, the source said.

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