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EFRAC gets FSSAI’s provisional nod as NRL in food pkg, contact material
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Thursday, 19 September, 2019, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
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The apex food regulator has approved one more lab as a national reference laboratory (NRL), bringing the total number to 15. The FSSAI has given provisional approval to the Edward Food Research and Analysis Centre Limited (EFRAC), Kolkata as a NRL in the specific area of food packaging and contact material.
An order in this regard was issued by FSSAI, saying that under Section 3 of the Food Safety and Standards (Recognition and Notification of Laboratories) Regulations, 2018, the laboratory has been approved for the specified area.
According to a senior FSSAI official, the new addition will look into the subject of contact material or packaging material for the food stuffs, and help as a resource centre for the provision of information for certified reference materials.
It is pertinent to mention here that recently, the debate over single-use plastic has forced the food industry to look for alternatives. And as the country is heading for a ban on single-use plastic, which is used for packaging in the food industry, particularly in the bottled water industry, the newer material will need such set-ups for a smoother transition.
FSSAI had earlier allowed hotels to use paper-sealed glass bottles for the purpose of serving in-house guests.
The official stated that this lab would also help in bringing more clarity on the subject of technical support and competence and development of the standards for reliable testing methods in the area of food packaging materials.
However, the order by the FSSAI stated that the final approval to EFRAC as NRL shall be subject to inspection by the expert team and subsequent approval of the competent authority of the regulator.
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