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Which organisation launched India’s first accreditation scheme for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories?
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories
Bureau of Indian Standards
National Centre for Food Technology
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories
The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) has introduced India's first accreditation scheme specifically for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories.
To enhance food safety monitoring across diverse and remote regions, the government has incentivized the mobility of testing infrastructure. The NABL accreditation scheme ensures that mobile units adhere to the same rigorous quality and calibration standards as stationary laboratory facilities. This initiative supports the broader goal of decentralizing food quality testing, enabling rapid analysis, and ensuring public health compliance for consumers, startups, and MSMEs. By bringing testing closer to the source, the scheme reduces turnaround time and strengthens the overall national food safety ecosystem under the FSSAI regulatory framework.
The scheme is administered by NABL, which is a Constituent Board of the Quality Council of India (QCI).
Mobile food labs are essential for field-level surveillance, especially in regions with limited access to brick-and-mortar testing facilities.
Accreditation by NABL signifies compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 standards for laboratory competence.
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) provides financial support for setting up labs under the Scheme for Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure (FSQAI).
B is correct — The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is the body responsible for standardizing and accrediting the operational quality of mobile food testing labs in India.
Remember NABL as the 'Quality Watchdog' for technical competence, distinct from FSSAI which is the 'Regulatory Watchdog' that sets the food safety standards themselves.