Nepal Begins Exporting Lab-Tested Food Products to Third Countries

Nepal has started exporting domestically tested food products to countries beyond India after its national laboratory received international accreditation, the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) said.

The development follows the accreditation granted in July by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a body under the Quality Council of India. The certification has eased the export of Nepali food products to both India and third countries, ending years of non-tariff barriers caused by the lack of internationally recognised testing facilities.

Read: Nepal’s Food Laboratory Receives International Accreditation, Opening Doors for Wider Exports

Following the accreditation, DFTQC expanded its testing capacity from 386 items across 10 food groups to 814 items across 22 food groups. Director General Dr Matina Joshi Vaidya said several Nepali products—tested within Nepal—have now started entering markets such as India, Qatar, Dubai, the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom.

“Nepali goods are now being exported without obstruction to India as well as to Qatar, Dubai, the US, Japan, the UK and other countries,” she said. Nepali exporters had long faced delays and higher costs because food products had to be tested in India before export.

DFTQC had first applied for NABL accreditation in 2019, but although a cooperation agreement was reached at the time, certification had not been granted. “It took longer than expected, but our laboratory has now received international recognition, and exports have begun on the basis of domestic test reports,” Vaidya said.

Read: India Recognizes Nepal's Food Laboratory for the First Time

According to the department, tests conducted in NABL-accredited laboratories in Nepal are now accepted by third countries as well. The National Food and Feed Reference Laboratory (NFFRL) is now the Nepali government’s most extensively accredited food laboratory.

DFTQC believes the accreditation will significantly facilitate and promote exports of food and agricultural products.

Products Eligible for Export Based on Domestic Lab Tests

Food categories whose Nepali test reports are internationally recognised include milk and dairy products, edible ghee, fats and oils, plant-based and herbal products, fruits and fruit-based items, herbs, spices and chutney, edible salt, honey and honey-based goods, sugar and sugar-based products, grains, pulses and grain-based items, bakery and confectionery products, infant food, tea and tea-based products, coffee and coffee-based goods, meat and meat products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, gluten and other gums (including bubble gum and chewing gum), water, nuts and nut-based products, fruits and vegetables, nutrient-rich and nutraceutical products, and animal feed.

However, Vaidya noted that although lab testing for edible oils, ghee and tea has been accredited, exports in these categories have not yet begun, and procedures are currently underway.