TIRANA, April  19  /ATA/ Investments in high-tech devices for food and plant laboratory network are intended to improve food safety in the country’s markets and exports.

With the co-financing from the Albanian government and the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development, the food and plant laboratory at the National Food Authority (AKU) in Durrës has been equipped with two new high-tech devices.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Frida Krifca, during a visit to this laboratory, said that “this investment, in the NFA of Durrës, is expected to increase by 41% the performance of tests both on samples and for indicators.”

Krifca pointed out that these devices are installed for the first time in the laboratory of NFA of Durres and are crucial for seamless performance of testing process.

According to her, the new devices as part of the SAFIAL project have introduced innovation in testing on various products of plant and animal origin.

Specifically, the ELISA device performs tests on plant material for viral pathogens and the UV-VIS Spectrophotometer, for the clear determination of the organoleptic properties of animal products.

Performing analyzes with modern devices is an added value in the accreditation of the examined results that guarantee the safety of the products that we consume in the country and export to foreign markets.

“Food safety is improving day to day and will continue to be our priority,” emphasized Krifca.

/sm/