Bathinda, Oct. 19 -- Bathinda is emerging as a food-testing hub with three laboratories at government-run institutions catering to the testing requirements of food businesses, agricultural firms and self-help groups (SHGs), ranging from food adulteration checks to contamination testing.

The laboratories, located at the Central University of Punjab (CUP), Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU) and Punjab Agricultural University's (PAU) regional research station, have different capabilities and levels of accreditation.

The CUP laboratory received accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) in May this year. Since then, it has analysed more than 400 samples from in...