Investigation launched into 90 lakh equipment purchase for detecting fat in food safety department

ALAPPUZHA: Food Safety Commissioner Jafar Malik has instructed the Chief Government Analyst to deliver a report within a week regarding the purchase of redundant equipment worth 90 lakhs. This move comes after Kerala Kaumudi reported on January 28 about the department's financial loss due to the acquisition of a fat extractor solely for cereals and meat.

Six months ago, the department procured three Sox Tech 8000 model fat extractors from Foss India Company at 30 lakhs each. However, these extractors are now sitting idle in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode regional labs.

Additionally, shakers and separators, essential for mixing sample chemicals and separating oil from samples are also present in the labs. However, these devices, released from accredited labs ten years ago, are outdated. The current Vertex model can analyze more samples in less than a minute using minimal chemicals and electricity. Furthermore, it utilizes small tubes of 30 ml each, while the orbital shaker requires larger 250 mL flasks increasing workload and financial losses.

Commissioner Malik has demanded a report on the unusable equipment in food safety labs with actions to follow upon receipt.