Minister launches rapid food testing centres in B’luru

NT Correspondent Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao inaugurated India’s first rapid food testing centre at the Mall of Asia in Bengaluru, allowing the public to test the quality and safety of various food items in real time. The initiative aims to combat food adulteration by making rapid testing kits accessible in supermarkets and malls, a significant move towards consumer health and awareness. Speaking at the event, Minister Gundurao explained that these centres empower the public to verify the safety of essential items, including vegetables, cooking oils, milk products, pulses, sugar, tea, salt and more. As part of this initial rollout, food testing kits have been installed at 10 major malls across Bengaluru, with locations like Vaishnavi Sapphire Center on Tumkur Road, Elements Mall at Thanisandra, Phoenix Mall of Asia on Bellary Road and Meenakshi Mall on Bannerghatta Road.

In addition to mall installations, plans are underway to equip major supermarkets, including More and Reliance Fresh, with these kits to ensure the quality of fresh produce and food grains. The Health Minister assured the public that the initiative aims not to target manufacturers but to foster public health and awareness around food safety. Addressing concerns about adulteration, particularly around ghee quality, the minister referenced recent tests of 230 ghee brands, including Patanjali, which revealed no traces of beef fat, dispelling consumer worries raised by incidents like the Tirupati Laddu case.