Ctg food laboratory fails to start operation in 6 years

The Modern Food Testing Laboratory in Chattogram, the first of its kind in the region, has failed to begin operation even after six years of its establishment and enrichment with necessary instruments, due mainly to a complexity in appointing its signing authorities – public health analysts.

"We are yet to start the operation of the laboratory as the ministry concerned has refused to approve its organogram [including the post of public health analyst] and take responsibility," said Dr Salim Akhter Chowdhury, chief health officer of Chattogram City Corporation, owner of the modern testing facility.

Caught in such a situation, the corporation is now mulling going for public-private partnership for the operation of the lab, he told The Business Standard, adding that the groundwork is being done now with such an aim in view.

The laboratory, situated near the Bibirhat cattle market of the port city, was established in 2016 at a cost of Tk24.4 crore under an Asian Development Bank-funded project. Another such laboratory was set up for Dhaka South City Corporation.

The primary objective of the laboratories is to ensure adulteration-free food production and marketing. The laboratory under Dhaka South City Corporation is doing well, according to project officials.

To enrich the 8,000-square-foot testing facility, a total of 83 machines worth Tk10 crore have been installed there and the facility has been divided into two labs – one for microbiological tests and the other for chemical tests.

The Ministry of Food allowed the laboratory to conduct testing and subsequently a trial process was undertaken. However, as there were no signing authorities, the test results did not carry due value.

Talking to TBS, several laboratory staffers said 24 individuals, including a director, a senior chemist and a senior microbiologist, were appointed for the lab on a temporary basis. They were supposed to be made permanent later and awarded government-service-holder status, but the authorities – the finance and public administration ministries – did not do so in the past six years.

As a result, about 17 officials have left their jobs over the last couple of years, further rendering the testing facility inoperative.

In the meantime, the Power Development Board disconnected the electricity connection to the laboratory in June last year due to its arrears amounting toTk6.82 lakh. The connection, however, was restored early this month.

Potential of the lab

The laboratory has the capacity of testing 800 types of products through 79 tests. It can carry out a maximum of 50 tests a day, according to officials responsible for supervising the facility.

They said it also has a facility for using water purified with the high-performance liquid chromatography method, which helps determine the most accurate results, while most of the labs in the country use distilled water.

"The lab has obtained approval from the Ministry of Food and accreditation with the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority. Apart from ensuring the quality of food, it can also play an important role commercially," said Muhammad Ali, retired health officer of Chattogram City Corporation, who was in charge of the laboratory in the initial days.

"Why should traders, importers and exporters of the port city depend on labs in Dhaka? We have a state-of-the-art facility. All types of testing of import-export food products will be possible here," he told The Business Standard.

If import and export of food can be linked with the laboratory, there will be a huge income opportunity for the city corporation, he added.