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Friday, 6 March 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
For the first time a Medical Research Institute testing laboratory functioning under the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Health Services secured accreditation for an international standard, ISO/IEC
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Chief Guest Chief Food Authority Health Services Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe addressing the
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UNIDO International Technical Specialist Dr. Jairo Andres Villamil Diaz speaking on project support to conformity assessment bodies
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Dr. Sujatha Pathirage, Consultant Microbiologist and MRI Food and Water Laboratory Head speaking on the roadmap to laboratory accreditation
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17025:2005, which certifies the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
This achievement was celebrated at a ceremony on 2 March at Hilton Colombo Residence, Colombo 2. The accreditation was achieved with the technical support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) within the framework of the EU-Sri Lanka Trade Related Assistance project, funded by the European Union (EU).
Dignitaries and distinguished guests, including Chief Food Authority Health Services Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe; Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food Safety Deputy Director General Dr. Lakshman Gamlath; Sri Lanka Accreditation Board Director and CEO Chandrika Thilakaratne; Medical Research Institute (MRI) Director Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara and Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Head of Cooperation Frank Hess, among others, delivered opening remarks to 77 guests from policy and trade support institutions as well as industry stakeholders.
The MRI is the premier centre in the country for biomedical and applied health research. UNIDO capacitated the food and water laboratory of the MRI, an approved analyst under Food Act No. 26 of 1980, towards accreditation by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB) for microbiological testing of Aerobic Plate Count, Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Coliform and Escherichia coli. Responsible for providing evidence in courts, the achievement of accreditation gives weight to MRI’s mandate as an approved analyst. UNIDO carried out a gap assessment of MRI’s testing services and identified gaps against ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and corresponding corrective actions. UNIDO delivered training on all aspects of the standard and facilitated the calibration of equipment and procurement of monitoring equipment to maintain quality control and the accuracy of results. Conformity assessment builds confidence between consumers and stakeholders, especially suppliers. It offers a basis for products or services selection – products or services bearing a mark or certificate of conformity generate consumer confidence. As a passport for international trade, conformity assessment provides a company with a competitive edge in the market. When a company assesses its products and services in accordance with relevant standards, this helps the company adapt to the latest market trends regarding quality and mitigates the costs related to product returns, buyer complaints and loss of goodwill in local, regional and international markets.
Beyond MRI’s food and water laboratory, the project supports 25 other conformity assessment bodies (CAB) and national quality infrastructure institutions such as the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board, the Sri Lanka Standards Institute and the Measurements Units, Standards and Services Department, in enabling them to attain international recognition, particularly in expanding testing services for food safety and quality-related parameters in the food and spices sectors.
