Table of Contents
TL;DR
- This blog is aimed at health-conscious consumers, families buying daily food staples, and people who want transparency about pesticide residues, heavy metals, and food safety in India.
- Terms like “chemical-free,” “pure,” and “farm fresh” are marketing claims unless backed by independent lab testing from accredited third-party laboratories.
- NABL-accredited lab reports help consumers verify pesticide residue and heavy metal levels, making food safety claims measurable instead of promotional.
- The blog explains key terms like BLQ (Below Limit of Quantification), MRL (Maximum Residue Limit), LOQ, and how to evaluate whether a food product is genuinely clean and safe.
- The article encourages buyers to ask brands for batch-specific test reports, especially for frequently consumed products like spices, flours, pulses, and supplements that go directly into food without washing.
Also read
- What Is Sattu and Why Is It One of India's Best Summer Foods?
- Moringa Powder Benefits, Uses & Nutrition Guide India
- Why Turmeric Powder Quality Matters More Than You Think
The Gap Between What a Label Says and What Is in the Packet
Reassuring language abounds in Indian food packaging. Naturally grown. Chemical-free. Farm fresh. Pure and unadulterated.
Many of these phrases lack standardized verification requirements in India, which means brands may use them without publicly sharing supporting test evidence.
This isn't a trivial issue. Adulteration and pesticide contamination in common food products in India are documented and ongoing problems. Pesticide residues have been found in vegetables, spices and grains. In the food category surveillance reports, FSSAI has highlighted mislabelling and quality issues with foods of all categories.
The gap between what a label claims and what the product actually contains is real. The only way to cross this divide is to conduct independent laboratory testing by an accredited testing laboratory before bringing the finished product
What Independent Lab Testing Actually Is ?
Independent lab testing involves a product sample being submitted to a third party testing facility that is not affiliated with the brand. The sample is analysed in the laboratory against a pre-established list of parameters, and the results of the analysis are reported.
The term "independent" is important. The testing of a brand's own product in the brand's own facility is not independent testing. The key is that the testing is conducted by a third-party lab that has no interest in producing a favourable result.
The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a body of the Government of India, is responsible for accrediting food testing laboratories in India. NABL accreditation indicates that the laboratory's methods, equipment and processes comply with national standards. It is the minimum standard of quality that should be used as a baseline indicator on a food test report to be considered valid.
If a brand claims its products have been independently lab tested, the questions to ask are who the lab was and what certification it has, what were the parameters tested, and if you can see the report?
What Gets Tested and Why It Matters?
For everyday food staples, the two most important categories of testing are pesticide residue and heavy metals.
Pesticide Residue
Crop protection in agriculture is achieved by the use of pesticides to control insects, fungi and weeds. Pesticides play an important role in agriculture, but excessive or unsafe residue levels in food can pose health concerns. The residue of their use can stay in the food after farming, processing and in your kitchen.
This concern is more relevant for some foods than others. Washing whole vegetables before cooking may remove some surface residue. However, ground spices, flours, and powdered products are typically consumed without any washing step. The contents of the product when it is sealed is what you eat.
The Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides in food are established by FSSAI in mg/kg. These are the highest residue levels permitted in food products sold in India. Products that contain residues greater than these should not be on the shelf.
A cleaner product may contain residue levels below the laboratory’s limit of quantification (LOQ), meaning the instruments cannot reliably measure the substance at that concentration.
Heavy Metals
Soils, water and processing equipment may contaminate food with heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium or mercury. They are not applied on purpose, as with pesticides. They build up in the body over time and exposure over time has been associated with significant health issues.
FSSAI prescribes limits of some heavy metals in food products as permissible limits. For some products which are used daily in Indian households, tests of these are important.
How to Read a Food Test Report?
A food test report can look intimidating at first. Here is how to read one.
Sample details The report will include the following information: The product tested, the batch number, date of manufacture, and the date that it was received at the testing lab. Make sure these are similar to the product you are purchasing or to the batch that the brand states it has tested.
Test parameters The following is the list of substances tested for by the lab. A comprehensive pesticide panel will test dozens of different pesticides, rather than just some. The more detailed and lengthy this list, the more valuable the report.
UoM (Unit of Measurement) The concentration of pesticide in foods is expressed in mg/kg, which is milligrams of pesticide per kg of food. An extremely compact unit. Many pesticide residue limits are set at very low concentrations, often around 0.01 mg/kg depending on the compound and food category.
Result column This is the important column. The results will be numerical or a term such as BLQ or ND that signifies that the substance was detected at that level or not detected at all.
LOQ (Limit of Quantification) This is the lowest concentration the laboratory's instruments can reliably detect and measure. It varies by lab and method but is typically stated alongside each result.
BLQ (Below the Limit of Quantification)This is what you should expect to find. BLQ (Below the Limit of Quantification) means the substance, if present, was below the laboratory’s measurable quantification threshold. It's no guess or estimation. It indicates that the substance could not be reliably quantified at the laboratory’s stated LOQ.
MRL (Maximum Residue Limit)The legal limit (as per FSSAI) for each parameter is indicated in this column. The result can be compared to the MRL to determine if there is any margin of safety above the outer limit of what is allowed.
Case Study: Jaivik Setu Turmeric Powder?
Turmeric is an extremely popular Indian spice used in food. It is added to dal, sabzi, rice and milk. Almost all Indian homes use it at least once a day. It is also one of the most adulterated spices in India where synthetic dyes and fillers are added to boost quantity and colour.
A sample of its Turmeric Powder (Batch 01TMP1125) manufactured on 18 November 2025 was sent by Jaivik Setu to an NABL accredited food testing facility (Accreditation No: TC-12434).
What was tested ?
A total of 209 individual pesticide residue parameters were tested in the lab. It was a comprehensive panel covering more than 200 pesticide residues, including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and commonly used agricultural chemicals such as chlorpyrifos, malathion, cypermethrin, and carbofuran.
What the results showed?
All 209 parameters were BLQ. The limit of quantification was 0.005mg/kg. The maximum residue limit (MRL) set by FSSAI for most of these parameters is 0.01 mg/kg.
In other words, the lab's instruments were looking for pesticide residues at half the level the government deems to be the outer limit. They were unable to detect any of the 209 compounds they looked at.
It is not a statement regarding the cultivation of turmeric. It is a direct measurement of product contents. All 209 tested parameters were reported as BLQ at the stated LOQ.
The complete test report can be seen on the Jaivik Setu website.
What a Good Test Report Looks Like vs What to Be Wary Of ?
Signs of a credible test report
The lab is NABL accredited or has an equivalent recognised accreditation. The report contains the lab's accreditation number which can be cross referenced. The sample information is the same as the product being sold, such as the batch number and manufacture date. The parameter list is extensive and includes a variety of compounds pertaining to the type of crop. Results are clearly stated as numerical value or BLQ (with the LOQ indicated). The report is published freely or on request without reservation.
Signs to be cautious about
There is no accreditation information for the lab. Only a few substances, of the hundreds possible, were tested; and only a very short list of parameters. Results reported as ‘pass’ or ‘compliant' but numbers not included. Test reports that are undated, reference no specific batch or could not be traced to any specific product. Brands that talk about testing in their marketing but who, for some reason, don't publish reports.
Why Do Most Brands Not Publish Test Reports?
Lab tests are expensive and time consuming if they are done independently. Testing each batch can become expensive for brands that use multiple suppliers for multiple harvests. Making a marketing claim on a label is easier, and less expensive than substantiating the claim with documented evidence.
Most food brands in India are not required to disclose the test results of pesticides or heavy metals for each batch of their products. FSSAI regulations generally do not require brands to publicly disclose batch-by-batch test results for most food categories, only that they are in accordance with safety standards.
This means the public disclosure of test reports is largely voluntary. Those brands that do, go above and beyond the call of duty. If a brand does not, then there's no way to know from the outside if they are compliant or not.
A claim or a published report is a big distinction for a consumer purchasing food items that their family consumes every day.
What You Can Do as a Consumer?
It's not necessary to know all the parameters in a lab report to make better choices. It is easy to do a few simple steps.
Inquire if the brand does its own testing. If they do, request the report or check their site or product page for it.
Verify accreditation of the lab. The presence of an NABL accreditation number on the report is the most obvious indication of a lab's adherence to recognised standards.
Don't just look at the results column; examine the results summary. The most important result is BLQ across a Large Parameter List. A short list of a few passing results carries little information.
Focus testing on products which are not washed before consumption. The most important areas where a clean test report will apply to ground spices, flours, powdered supplements and pulses.
Conclusion
Food labels communicate what a brand wants you to know. Lab reports reveal to you what is actually in the product.
The easiest way for a food brand to be transparent is by having independent testing done on their finished food products by accredited laboratories. It does not rely solely on how a product is marketed or described during cultivation. It is used to measure the ingredients in the particular batch that will be delivered to your kitchen.
This difference is significant for everyday foods that are eaten at home in India. As a food buyer, the most sensible approach is to ask for evidence instead of relying solely on marketing claims.