The inception of the first analytical laboratory at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala in 1957 marked a milestone in the state’s commitment to food safety. Subsequently, in 1975, the establishment of two additional laboratories at Ernakulam and Kozhikodu further strengthened the capabilities of the Food Safety Department. Over the years, these laboratories have played a pivotal role in upholding stringent standards, ensuring the continuous monitoring and analysis of food samples to protect public health and maintain the integrity of the food supply chain.

As the food safety in our country confronted new challenges, the country switched to the enactment of Food Safety and Standards Act and since 2013, the laboratory is working in full fledge to realise the analytical capabilities of the act. Compared with PFA act, Food Safety and Standards Act is designed to address the evolving challenges in Food Industry and is generally considered as more advanced and comprehensive taking into account advancements in Food Science and Technology. The Act aligns with International Food Safety Standards and meets the dynamic requirements of Indian Food Trade and Industry and International Trade. It adopts a risk based approach focusing on potential hazards and addressing them systematically ensuring a more proactive and preventive approach to food safety.

For fulfilling this purpose, FSSAI enacted the mandatory implementation of ISO IEC 17025 through NABL accreditation throughout the food testing labs across the nation despite of government or private ownership.

The Ernakulam laboratory achieved a significant milestone in 2016 by obtaining NABL accreditation. This accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories underscores the laboratory commitment to maintaining high standards of precision, reliability, and competence in its analytical processes. It further enhances the credibility of the laboratory’s test results, reinforcing its role as a reliable authority in ensuring food safety in the state. In 2017, the laboratories in Thiruvananthapuram (TVM) and Kozhikode also secured NABL accreditation, demonstrating their commitment to excellence in testing and calibration. This accreditation affirms the laboratories’ adherence to rigorous international standards, further establishing them as trustworthy entities in ensuring Food Safety.When FSSAI mandatorily pressed for NABL FSSAI Integrated assessment,our laboratory achieved the status in 2019 and Ernakulam Regional Analytical Laboratory is the first State Food Testing Laboratory in India to achieve this status and still striving to achieve excellence in building analytical capabilities. The laboratories are equipped with the high end equipment such as LCMSMS,GCMSMS, ICP OES, Liquid chromatographic and spectroscopic systems of worth 8.0 crores, quality and competitive manpower that blends chemist, food technologist and microbiologist which is on par with best research laboratories and leading private food testing laboratories across the country.

The laboratories started its scope enhancement in a phased manner. Currently scope of parameters in Thiruvananthapuram laboratory is 1468, 819 in Ernakulam and 613 in Kozhikodu. Scope and facility of the laboratory covers Pesticides, Heavy metals, Mycotoxins, Fortificants, Antibiotics, Nutritional Evaluation, General Characteristics Parameters. Microbiology testing has an important role as per FSSAI norms. Under a Central Sector Scheme launched by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India to strengthen food testing laboratory, Rs4.5 crore has been allocated for upgrading each of the food testing laboratories in the state for ‘Setting up Microbiology Section and Installation of Equipment on Turnkey Basis’ in Regional Analytical Laboratory, Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram.Our microbiology laboratories at Ernakulam and Kozhikode were inaugurated on 26th February 2024 by the Honorable Prime minister of India. The new laboratories will be a step up for the Kerala State Food Safety Department, which currently ranks first in the National Food Safety Index.

 

ANALYTICAL WING

SL.NO	Name of institution	No.of institutions	Remarks
1	Government Analyst’s Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram	1	Regional Level
2	Regional Analytical Laboratory, Ernakulam	1	Regional Level
3	Regional Analytical Laboratory, Kozhikode	1	Regional Level
4	District Food Testing Laboratory, Pathanamthitta	1	District Level
5	Regional analytical laboratory Kannur	1	Regional Level

 

 

 

 

Regulation	Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011
Regulation No	2.1			2.2
Product Category	Dairy Products & Analogues			Fats, Oils & Fat Emulsions
Sub category	Milk	Milk Products	Foods for infant nutrition	Oils	Edible     Fats	Edible Fats with animal origin	Margarine and Fat Spread	Other (hydrogena ted, inter- sterified)
Parameter Groups
Proximate analysis/ General Parameters	1500	1500	2500	4500	4500	4500	4500	4500
Adulterants	1000	1000	----	1500	1000	---	1000	1000
Heavy Metals	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500
Methyl mercury	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000
Crop  contaminants & NOTS	1000 (m1)	1000 (m1)	1000 (m1)	1000	1000	---	1000	1000
Melamine	1000	1000	1000	---	---	---	---	---
Histamine, PCBs, PAHs	----	----	---	---	---	---	---	---
Pesticide residues	3000	3000	3000	---	---		---	----
Additives	----	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500
Vitamins	----	----	4000	2000	---	--	---	2000
Minerals	----	----	1500	---	---	--	---	---
Microbiology	2500	2500	2500	---	---	---	---	---
Antibiotic residues	4000	----	---	---	---	4000	---	---
Final cost	16500	14000	19500	13000	10500	12500	10500	12500

Testing Fee for Dairy Products & Analogues and Fats, Oils & Fat Emulsions

 Note:

1. In case of fortified milk, additional 2000 may be charged for Vit. A and Vit. D together.
2. In case of infant foods(milk cereal based complementary food, processed cereal based complementary food), Total Aflatoxin and Aflatoxin B1 is also to be considered. So, additional 1000 may be added.
3. In case of fats, oils and fat emulsions, 4500 for general parameters also includes fatty acid profiling and hexane residue
4. In case of oils(Cotton seed oil, Groundnut oil, Mustard oil, Coconut, Soyabean oil), the testing fee of 3000 for pesticide residues can be added , wherever applicable as per FSSR

 

Table 2: Testing Fee for Fruit &Vegetable products and Cereal & Cereal products

Regulation	Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011
Regulation No	2.3		2.4
Product Category	Fruits & Vegetable Products		Cereals & Cereal Products
Sub category	Fruits & vegetable products	Dried fruits & nuts	Flours	Food grains and pulses	Cereal Products	Malt and malt  based foods
Parameter Groups
Proximate analysis/ General Parameters	2000	2000	3000	3000	3000	3000
Adulterants	--	---	---
Heavy Metals	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500
Methyl mercury	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000
Crop  contaminants & NOTS	---	1000	2000	2000	2000	2000
Melamine	---	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000
Histamine, PCBs, PAHs	---	---	---	---	---	---
Pesticide residues	4000	4000	3000	3000	---	---
Additives	1500	1500	---	---	---	---
Vitamins	--	--	---	---	---	---
Minerals	--	---	---	---	---	---
Microbiology	2500	2500	---	---	---	2500
Antibiotic residues	---	---	---	---	---	---
Final cost	12500	14500	11500	11500	8500	11000

Note:

1. In case of Apple juice or apple juice used as an ingredients in other beverages, additional 1000 may be added for Patulin
2. In case of stone fruit juices or canned stone fruit, additional Rs.500 may be added for analysis of Hydrocyanic acid
3. In case of Food containing mushrooms, additional Rs.500 may be added for analysis of Agaric acid
4. In case of fortified atta and maida, additional Rs. 2000 may be added when fortified with iron, folic acid and Vit.B12. In addition, Rs. 2000 may be added if also fortified with zinc, Vit A, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, and Pyridoxine, if declared on

 

Table 3: Testing Fee for Meat & Meat products, Fish & Fish products and Sweet & Confectionary

Regulation	Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011
Regulation No	2.5		2.6		2.7
Product Category	Meat & Meat Products		Fish & Fish Products		Sweets & Confectionery
Sub category	Fresh and frozen meat and eggs	Processed and preserved meat	Fresh	Processed and preserved
Parameter Groups
Proximate analysis/ General Parameters	1500	1500	1500	1500	2000
Adulterants	---	---	750 (formalin)	---	---
Heavy Metals	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500
Methyl mercury	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000
Crop  contaminants & NOTS	500 (only saffrole)	500 (only saffrole)	500 (only saffrole)	500 (only saffrole)	500 (HCN)
Melamine	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000
Histamine, PCBs, PAHs	---	---	2000	2000	---
Pesticide residues	3000	3000	1000	---	---
Additives	---	1500	---	1500	1500
Vitamins	---	---	---	---	---
Minerals	---	---	---	---	---
Microbiology	2500	2500	3000	3000	---
Antibiotic residues	4000	4000	4000	4000	---
Final cost	15000	16500	16250	16000	7500

Note:

1. In case of Fish and fish product, additional Rs.2000 may be charged for biotoxins, wherever applicable as per FSSR

 

Table 4: Testing Fee for sweetening agents including honey, Salt, spices, condiments & related products and Beverages, (Other than Dairy and Fruits & Vegetables based)

 

Regulation	Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011
Regulation No	Sweetening Agents including Honey		Salt , spices, condiments and related products		Beverages, (Other than Dairy and Fruits  & Vegetables based)
Product Category	2.8		2.9		2.10
Sub category	Sweeteni ng Agents	Honey	Salt	Spices	Tea, Coffee, Beverages Non Alcoholic etc.	Packaged Drinking Water, Mineral Water	Alcoholic Beverages
Parameter Groups
Proximate analysis/ General Parameters	2000	9500 (including analysis of authenticity parameters)	3000 (including      all mineral to be tested)	2000	2000	2000	2000
Adulterants	---	---	---	500	---	---	---
Heavy Metals	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500	1500
Methyl mercury	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000
Crop  contaminants & NOTS	---	---	---	1000	500 (only saffrole)	---	2000 (4 NOTS)
Melamine	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Histamine, PCBs, PAHs	---	---	---	---	---	2000	---
Pesticide residues	---	---	---	3000	3000	4000	---
Additives	1500	---	1500	1500	1500	---	1500
Vitamins	---	---	---		---	---	---
Minerals	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Microbiology	---	---	---	2500	---	2500	---
Antibiotic residues	---	3000	---	---	---	---	---
Final cost	6000	15000	7000	13000	9500	14500	8000

Note:

1. In case of Packaged drinking water, Mineral water , additional Rs.5000 for radioactivity testing (Alpha activity & beta activity)
2. In case of Carbonated water and non carbonated water based beverages, additional 1000 for microbiological parameters (total plate count, coliform count and yeast & mould count)
3. In case of Beer, microbiological parameters are to be tested; additional 2500 may be added to the testing fee for all microbiological parameters.

 

Table 5: Testing Fee for Other Food Products, Proprietary foods, Nutraceuticals and Organic foods

Regulation	Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011		Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016	Food Safety and Standards (Organic Food) Regulation, 2017
Regulation  No	2.11	2.12	--	--
Product Category	Other Food Products*	Proprietary foods	Products under this regulation	Organic Foods
Parameter Category	Rs. 6000 is fixed for the products under this category	The cost of nearest food category will be applicable.	Rs. 15000 fixed for  nutraceuticals	The cost of standard food category will  be  applicable.

Note

*The products included are Baking Powder, Catechu, Gelatin, Silver leaf, Pan Masala, carob powder, Dietary Fibre, Special dietary food with low sodium content. Rs. 6000 includes general parameter, heavy metal, Methyl mercury, NOTS and Additives.

ഭേദഗതി ചെയ്ത നിരക്കുകൾ ( 0/09/2024 മുതൽ പ്രാബല്യം)

Table 1: Water Sample

Sl.No	Types of Testing	New Rate (in Rs)
1	Water for construction purpose	1986/-

Water SampleTable 2:  Effluent

Sl.No	Types of Testing	New Rate (in Rs)
1	Effluent /industrial water up to 5 parameters	1986/-
2	For every additional parameters	498/-

 

 

Revised order of testing fee

 

The Department of Food Safety is equipped with three Government Analytical Food Testing Laboratories situated at Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode respectively. All the Labs are technically competent and committed to monitoring the Safety and Quality of Food Products by making use of State-of-the-Art equipment and Testing Methods that have been developed and validated to the best practice standards.

All the three Laboratories are accredited by NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration of Laboratories) to conduct the analyses of Food Articles and Ingredients and provide scientifically valid data that help in the Monitoring, Regulation and Enforcement of Food Safety in the State.

The Department of Food Safety has a District Food Testing Laboratory at Pathanamthitta that functions exclusively for testing Vazhipadu/Prayer articles for Sabarimala Pilgrimage.

The Department of Food Safety has also established two Mobile Food Testing Laboratories that are equipped to conduct tests on Milk, Water, Food Colours and Edible Oils.

The services of all the Labs can be availed by the Public on payment of the prescribed fee fixed by the Government.

Food Categories that can be analysed in the Laboratories are as follows:

• Milk and Milk Products
• Cereal and Cereal Products
• Proprietary Foods
• Spices and Condiments
• Tea, Coffee and Beverages
• Fats, Oils and Confectionery
• Packaged Drinking Water
• Fish and Meat