ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, has been assessed and accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for its spices quality and organic manure testing laboratories.

IISR said in a release that the recognition is a stepping-stone for quality testing of spices and organic manures as NABL certification is recognized globally, making it more accurate and reliable that meets stringent standards. The streamlined processes reduce turnaround time and also certify ICAR-IISRs commitment to quality.

In the present-day sustainable farming system goals, quality of the organic manure used is a major factor. The quality parameters moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon content, its nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents essentially decide the quality of the organic manures.

With this accreditation, IISR is positioned to support the spice processing industry to provide the essential testing services with respect to the quality parameters like piperine, oleoresin, curcumin, moisture content etc to adhere to regulatory requirements and enhance consumer confidence in spices available in the market. This will help go a long way in ensuring the quality and purity of spices, from a laboratory that meets rigorous standards for quality and competence.

There are also plans to pursue NABL accreditation for additional parameters/scope for holistic coverage of regulatory requirements of spices samples.

The scientists associated with the accreditation process are V.Srinivasan,. Shamsudheen M,. Sivaranjani R and technical assistants, Karthika N and Sajina O for sample analysis.