The State Food Laboratory in Nacharam is operating with only one food analyst, causing significant testing delays.
The increased workload from H-FAST raids and insufficient staffing have resulted in reports taking up to a month to finalize.
Staffing levels have plummeted since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with many junior analysts leaving for private roles.
The laboratory manages diverse testing parameters for a wide range of food products, requiring meticulous and time-consuming analysis.