Shimla, Oct 17 (IANS): To enable growers to certify organic testing of their fruits and vegetables, a food testing lab is being set up in Solan town in Himachal Pradesh with the assistance by the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

Named Shoolini Life sciences Private Ltd, it will be set up with an outlay of Rs 2.85 crore, a statement said.

"This is essential to determine the safety of food for consumption purposes to meet national and international standards," said lab director Vishal Anand.

The lab will be available for the quality testing of all commercial food processing industries and commercial food manufacturing units.

Additionally, the lab will offer scientific analysis of food products and their components before they are made available for public consumption. The lab is equipped with high-end modern instruments like gas chromatography mass spectrometry, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer, etc.

The lab will soon offer NABL accredited certification of food products.