ICAR-CIFT crowns with NABL-FSSAI Integrated Accreditation to boost the credentials of Indian seafood export

<p style="text-align:center"><img alt="" src="https://cift.res.in/uploads/userfiles/nabl.png" style="height:868px; width:640px" /></p> <p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align:justify">ICAR-Central Institute of fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Cochin; the first research institute under the auspices of Indian council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing &amp; Calibration Laboratories (NABL India), a Constituent Board of Quality Council of India since 2005, &nbsp;is adorned with the maiden crown of NABL-FSSAI integrated accreditation, that will add golden feather on the cap of CIFT and boost the export credentials of Indian seafood sector.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align:justify">On 15 December, 2021; the institute has been bestowed with the unique distinction of integrated accreditation by NABL India and FSSAI, GOI for a period of two years till 14 December, 2023. This accreditation extended the scope for testing 380 parameters with respect to chemical, biological and mechanical components of water, fish and fishery products, feed, gear materials, and packaging materials in line with the national and international quality standard requirements. Normally, the seafood export sector mandatorily requires testing of water, packaging materials, and fish products matching to the quality standards stipulated by the importing countries. In this context, the test certificate accredited by NABL is a global recognition, which is a prerequisite for any foreign buyers for export purposes. ICAR-CIFT with its high-end lab facilities and well experienced NABL team at Cochin has taken the responsibility of testing antibiotic, pesticide residues, heavy metals, biotoxins in finfish/shellfish, harmful contaminants, food additives, etc. in addition to the testing of bacterial pathogens and infectious viruses in fish. The institute is also accredited for the testing of paper, plastic, paper board, plastic films, fishing gear materials for various quality parameters.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Earlier, ICAR- CIFT, Cochin was also notified by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as <em>&ldquo;National Referral Laboratory&rdquo;</em> for fish and fishery products during 2017 and also conferred with the status of <em>&ldquo;National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Fish and Fish Products&rdquo;</em> in 2019 by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India.</p>