KATHMANDU, April 4: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), in collaboration with the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, has launched a mobile food laboratory to monitor food service markets.
On Thursday, KMC Deputy Mayor and Monitoring Coordinator Sunita Dangol inaugurated the collecting and testing of food samples from the canteens of Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital and Norvic Hospital in Thapathali. A joint inspection team conducted on-site checks for food hygiene and quality and tested food samples in the field.
While learning about the mobile lab's functions, Deputy Mayor Dangol said the initiative would generate evidence-based data to protect consumer rights through food hygiene. "The results will provide a scientific basis to design programs for safe food practices," she added.
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Som Kant Rijal, Deputy Director General of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, said he expects the collaboration with KMC to deliver qualitative results.
The inspection team visited Sunil Canteen and Manakamana Mai Canteen at the maternity hospital and the hospital's free meal kitchen, soup kitchen, patient food preparation area, and Café Care Pvt. Ltd. at Norwich Hospital.
The team collected and tested on-site food samples of milk, water, and cooking oil from Sunil and Mankamana canteens. The mobile lab confirmed that these items met quality standards. However, the team sent a sample of pickle served with momo to the National Food and Feed Reference Laboratory under the department for further testing.
They also sent a cream donut sample from Café Care at Norvic Hospital to the reference lab for analysis.
According to KMC food technologist Bharti Adhikari, the hospital canteen stored meat and meat products alongside vegetables and leafy greens. She reported unhygienic conditions in the gas stove and refrigerator, poor personal hygiene, the use of unlabeled food items, and inappropriate use of synthetic coloring.