Gov’t food contaminants lab opens
The National Food Authority has establishment a contaminants laboratory at its Food Development Center in Taguig City, a move seen to raise confidence for the country’s agricultural, fisheries and animal foods, and food products in the international market.
FDC was designated to operate the Department of Agriculture’s official contaminants laboratory with state-of-the-art testing equipment such as the liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometer or LC/MS/MS.
The LC/MS/MS is capable of detecting new contaminants and can trace even low levels of contaminants in foods such as residues of veterinary drugs, antibiotics, pesticides especially in agricultural, fish and fisheries products.
The use of the contaminants laboratory will strengthen the country’s compliance to tests and analysis with international protocols such as Codex Alimentarius Commission or CODEX, the international standard setting body for contaminants in food. It ensures that local food products are safe making them globally competitive and also promotes fair practices in food trade.
CODEX was established by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization to develop food standards to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in food trade. This is also considered as the benchmark of food safety under the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.
As a CODEX member country, the Philippines should establish local food standards that are aligned with the international standards.
The FDC, being DA’s contaminants laboratory, will conduct all official testing for contaminants for the department and its agencies for their surveillance programs, regulatory approval of foods, and its raw materials for export or import, research and for other purposes.
Food industries and other private sector organizations can also avail of the laboratory services for a fee.
