Solan, December 22
In a major achievement, Shoolini University’s start-up — Shoolini Life Sciences Pvt Ltd — has been declared Himachal’s first commercial Food testing facility approved by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
The Board is an autonomous body under the guidance of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, whose purpose is to provide accreditation for the testing and calibration of clinical laboratories in the country.
The approval makes the well-equipped and modern lab at Shoolini Life Sciences Pvt Ltd eligible for food testing and certification for all food products prepared for commercial purposes in Himachal Pradesh. This also includes testing drinking water, presence of heavy metals and food and agricultural products. All establishments selling food or food products need to get a certification from an NABL-certified laboratory. The lab is equipped with three major high-ended equipment — ICP-OES, GC-MS-MS, UHPLC, DLS, AFM and FE-SEM. This equipment is extremely important for various research activities as well as for the quality and safety of foods and other articles.
Shoolini University founder and Pro-Chancellor Vishal Anand, while making the announcement, said food and water are the most critical part of our existence. The quality of food available to a state’s citizens determines multiple health parameters and truly defines the quality of life. The approval is another step towards the mission to bring better life and lifestyle to Himachal Pradesh, he added.
So far, such a facility was not available in Himachal Pradesh, so such tests were conducted through approved laboratories in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, according to Dr Dinesh Kumar, Head, School of Bioengineering and Food Technology.