India's first meat testing lab to open on 30 June

The ministry of food processing industries has announced the setting up of the country's first meat and poultry food-testing laboratory in Delhi, which would start functioning by 30 June 2010.

Announcing this at a conference of the National Meat and Poultry Processing Board in New Delhi yesterday, minister of food processing industries Subodh Kant Sahai said the board might consider setting up more laboratories in different parts of the country.

He also highlighted the importance of creating standard policies for meat production and export, standardising the quality and safety aspects of meat and poultry, and creating infrastructure facilities for modern slaughter houses, meat testing facilities and cold storages for the growth of the meat and poultry processing sector.

The minister emphasised that a "Pink Revolution" is at our doorstep, which will catapult the meat and poultry-processing sector of our country to great heights. The minister said that the board would become a "one stop shop" for providing solution to all the problems of the meat and poultry processing industries. He stressed the need for tapping the huge and hitherto untapped export market for Indian meat and poultry processed products.

Ashok Sinha, secretary in the ministry of food processing industries, said there is tremendous scope in the meat and poultry processing sector and the sector offers great growth potential for new entrepreneurs. India's current meat consumption is 6 gm per capita per day and this can be raised to 50 gm a day in the next decade or so, he added.