Punjab: Food testing lab struggles to meet mandate at Bathinda varsity
The laboratory is equipped to detect pesticides, toxic heavy metals, and nutritional elements in different foods and beverages
Seven months after a state-of-the-art food testing laboratory was established with the financial support of the Bathinda-based Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), the facility is struggling to start meeting the mandate to cater to the food and beverage industry.

At a mega event held at the Bathinda university, the Union minister of state for food processing industries, Ravneet Singh Bittu, had inaugurated the facility on March 22, which was developed at a cost of ₹2.53 crore.
The laboratory is equipped to detect pesticides, toxic heavy metals, and nutritional elements in different foods and beverages.
The project was initially pushed by the then Union minister and Bathinda parliamentarian Harsimrat Kaur Badal in January 2020.
Faculty of the MRSPTU’s food science and technology department is managing the testing facility under the supervision of senior teachers and research scholars from different departments.
At the time of inauguration, it was stated that the laboratory would benefit small and medium entrepreneurs keen to expand their food sector ventures while meeting the quality standard protocol, such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
However, information says that the university is only getting an average of 10 samples in a month from university students doing research on various academic projects, and there are hardly any commercial samples reaching the facility for testing.
Department chairperson Prof Kawaljit Singh Sandhu said that it has been observed that the existing units from the organised sectors like dairy, food, cattle feed, oil extraction and oil refinery have their own in-house laboratories to meet the standards of their respective industries.
“On the other hand, the unorganised food sector has no legal obligation to attain any laboratory certification. Food entrepreneurs are not aware of the quality test as a value addition to their products. We are finding ways to make the high-end laboratory useful,” he said.
Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, also has a food testing laboratory since October last year, and that too is awaiting a response from the food and beverage sectors.
Experts said that the southwest region of Punjab, adjoining Bathinda, has no hub of agro-based industry, and the two labs to meet the commercial requirements may face challenges in getting clients.
Newly appointed vice-chancellor of the MRSPTU, Prof Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, said that the food science and technology department has been advised to reach out to the industry and make efforts to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the corporate sector for optimum utilisation of the laboratory.
Prof Sandhu said that MRSPTU has applied for accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), which is a benchmark in precision, reliability, and global standard compliance in food testing, and it may prove to be a game-changer.
“It is a rigorous exercise to get approval from NBAL, and we expect a license in the next 6-8 months. Once the laboratory gets approval from NBAL, we will tap the food industry as the test at MRSPTU will be at competitive rates in the market,” he added.
Official sources said that MRSPTU has no dedicated team to market the laboratory services and a team of technicians to run the facility professionally.
Sandhu said that they decided to open the on-campus laboratory equipment to the technicians of various units to test the samples at competitive rates.
“We hope to make some arrangements to address these challenges. Once NABL approval is granted, then we will need an exclusive team to operate in an organised manner, which may include picking the sample from the site and submitting lab standardisation reports in a time-bound manner,” added Sandhu.