Kandala port to have spices quality evaluation lab, 7 th in the country

Ahmedabad

Kandala Port in Kutch district of Gujarat will soon become only the second port after Mumbai in the western region and seventh in the country to have a quality evaluation lab of the spices board.

‘The decision to start the lab from next month has been taken in the wake of rising spices export from Gujarat. The lab will have facilities like testing of the pesticide residuals and physical and microbiological contaminations,’ Chairman of the spices board Mr. A Jayathilak who is here in connection with the 13 th edition of World Spice Congress to held in Gujarat for the first time between February 27 to 29, told newsmen today.

The other five labs in the country are in Kochin, Tuticorin, Guntur, Chennai and Delhi, he said adding that from the total production around 10 % of spices are exported from India which contributes to almost 50 % of the world spice trade.

India is the world leader in spices export but due to stringent new laws including the one introduced last year by the US food and drug administration, we are giving paramount importance to the quality. Maintaining good quality is the only challenge before us. The new lab will help us ensure quality of the exported spices, he said.

– DeshGujarat