Shillong: Food safety and nutrition must be approached together as both are closely linked to public health, Meghalaya Deputy Commissioner of Food Safety (Technical) Dr Wadamika Lyngdoh said at a one-day workshop on “Food Safety & Nutrition: A Technical Perspective” organised by the State Food Testing Laboratory (SFTL), Shillong.
Welcoming students and faculty members from Vidyasagar University, West Bengal, Lyngdoh said safe food is essential for a healthy diet and proper growth, while nutrition ensures the intake of adequate nutrients required for growth, development and overall well-being.
“Food safety and nutrition are closely connected and represent two interconnected pillars of public health,” she said.
She explained that food safety has to be ensured across the entire food chain, from production and harvesting to processing, transportation, storage and preparation.
According to Lyngdoh, food can be exposed to biological, chemical and physical hazards at different stages. These include bacteria, viruses and parasites, as well as pesticide residues, heavy metals, toxins and inappropriate food additives. Physical hazards may include foreign materials such as glass, metal, stones or plastic.
She stressed that good nutrition alone is not enough unless food is also hygienically prepared, properly stored and safely handled.
The official also highlighted the importance of preventing foodborne diseases through measures such as hand hygiene, proper cooking temperatures, preventing cross-contamination, adequate refrigeration and the use of safe water.
She said food testing laboratories play an important role in identifying contaminants through microbiological, chemical and other analytical tests and in checking compliance with food safety standards.
The workshop also covered different technical aspects of food safety, including microbiological, chemical and physical safety, nutritional science, food processing, food technology and quality control, public health, regulation, the farm-to-fork approach and sustainability.
The programme included an introduction to the State Food Testing Laboratory by microbiologist Chinmoy Pathak, followed by a session on safe and judicious use of agrochemicals by Dr Niranjan Kumar of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Participants were also taken on a laboratory visit covering the Chemical, Microbiology and HEE units of the SFTL, where they interacted with laboratory personnel and were introduced to food sample handling, preparation, testing, analysis and reporting.
Prof Sandip Chattopadhyay, Head of the Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science and Management at Vidyasagar University, also addressed the participants.
The workshop brought together students and faculty from Vidyasagar University, professionals from the Institute of Hotel Management, ICAR scientists, nutrition and dietetics professionals and SFTL staff.
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The programme aimed to bridge academic learning with practical laboratory applications while creating opportunities for future internships, training, research and academic collaboration between the institutions.
Lyngdoh, in her concluding message, said food must be “safe, nutritious, accessible, and of good quality” to contribute effectively to human health, emphasising that nutritious food is valuable only when it is safe to consume.
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