German testing and certification giant TÜV SÜD has opened its ultra-modern seafood, spices and commodity testing lab in Visakhapatnam, India
The lab will be spread across an area of more than 1,850 sq m and will be equipped with state-of-the-art testing, inspection and certification infrastructure that will be at par with international standards. TÜV SÜD’s testing lab will help address issues of managing safety, quality and logistics throughout the supply chain. The quality assurance services at the testing lab will act as a quality check between producers, manufacturers and buyers.
The lab will also house the experienced food safety auditors to offer certification for BRC, HACCP, ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000. Some of the globally recognised seafood inspection services at the lab will include, during production (DUPRO) inspection, initial production check (IPC), final random inspection (FRI), hygiene inspection, post shipment inspection, packaging container and storage checks.
Detection of antibiotic residues or microbiological contamination at an early stage minimises risks of costly product recalls. TÜV SÜD will conduct sampling and contaminants analysis, DNA testing for identification of species and toxin analysis, and other tests, to identify chemical and microbiological impurities. The lab is outfitted with state-of-the art equipment like LCMSMS, GCMSMS, ICPMS and a cutting-edge microbiology lab. The lab will also help reduce turnaround time for food exporters, resulting in assured go-to-market strategies.
Speaking at the inauguration, Niranjan Nadkarni, CEO of TÜV SÜD South Asia, said, “India exported a record one million tonnes of sea food fetching foreign exchange of US$5.5bn in the last fiscal. This lab will present us with the opportunity to improve our footprint in South Asia. Globally and in India, our labs are located at the doorsteps of food producers and our lab in Vizag is no different. We look forward to working closely with local exporters and help them improve the acceptability of their consignments across the globe.”
TÜV SÜD will partner with food exporters by working with them right from the procurement stage to shipment. The company will carry out tests for national and international standards, including China, Japan, Middle East, US and EU standards.
