The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli (NIFTEM-K) has developed a rapid and low-cost, tea pesticide detection kit, which is expected go on sale soon.
They showcased this innovation during the recently held 250th meeting of the Tea Board of India, hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry at Palampur.
“The development of this kit assumes significance in light of the emerging food safety concerns, especially pesticides and added colours in tea,” said HS Oberoi, Director, NIFTEM-K.
The kit developed by NIFTEM-K aims to transform the food safety ecosystem of the tea industry.
The Tea Testing Kit
The biosensor based rapid kit helps detect the presence of pesticide in a tea sample within minutes, officials at NIFTEM said. Tata Consumer Products Ltd has supported the development of this kit.
Better safety and quality requirements for tea would be ensured by the rapid pesticide testing kit’s ability to detect noticeable pesticide residues more quickly and accurately.
Within 30 to 60 minutes, the kit can detect the presence of significant pesticides in both fresh and dried tea leaves.
How it works?
The biosensor operates on the principle of inhibitory effect. The primary bio-recognition element for identifying the principal pesticide residues in tea is a biosensor made of chormogenic nanoreagents and a particular enzyme.
According to Oberoi, the kit will likely be helpful for determining whether major pesticides are present in tea for growers, tea processors, food business owners, food safety officers, and even regular customers.
Launch Date
Once the validation is complete, it is likely to be launched during World Food India-2024, set to be organised by MoFPI from September 19 to 22.
“Once the technology is launched, it will be licenced to a few companies including start-ups who are working or interested in this area and they can start commercially producing these kits. Most likely, the commercial production may commence from November,” Oberoi said.
Cost
The portable kit includes a small pestle and mortar, droppers, buffer solutions, Eppendorf tubes, and cellulosic strips that have been coated with a biosensor. It may cost approximately Rs 300 per unit.
Date : 17th & 18th Aug, 2024
Time : 10 AM to 05 PM
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