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Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, will inaugurate the newly constructed state-of-the-art Chemical Laboratory at National Test House (NTH), Ghaziabad, on Monday.
According to a statement from the Ministry, the lab will provide testing of packaged drinking water and natural mineral water, food packaging materials, enamelled and insulated wires made of aluminium and copper, coal, petroleum coke, bitumen, enamel paints, anti-skid products, filtration media such as sand and gravel, as well as white and coloured chalk. The Chemical Laboratory will play a central role in testing a wide range of materials, including building construction materials, cement, water, metals, alloys, paper, plastics, organic products, and fertilisers. NABL accredits the laboratory under ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and holds approvals under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Outside Laboratory Scheme, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985. The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments, including an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS), an Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), an Optical Emission Spectrometer (OES), a Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and an Ion Chromatograph. These advanced facilities enable the laboratory to conduct sophisticated and highly accurate analyses across various domains. The laboratory also offers training, research, and testing support to universities, engineering colleges, and industries, thereby strengthening the scientific and industrial ecosystem. Furthermore, the Laboratory aims to further expand its scope of testing. Some key plans include facilities for testing fortified food products, such as fortified wheat flour, refined flour (maida), nuts, edible oils, and salt enriched with vitamins A and D, to serve both the industry and the public at large. The laboratory also plans to introduce testing of various spices and conduct micronutrient analysis in food products, thereby widening its contribution to public health, food safety, and quality assurance. The National Test House (NTH), located in Ghaziabad, was established in 1977 and has been a trusted institution for high-quality testing and calibration services across various engineering fields. (ANI)
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