Federal ministry accredits ICCBS’s IAC

The Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC), Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, has awarded a certificate of accreditation to the Industrial Analytical Centre (IAC) of the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, an official announced on Tuesday.

According to the ICCBS official, the IAC offers a range of professional analytical and consultancy services to the industries and other private and public sector organisations. “More than 500 industries in Pakistan are taking analytical and consultancy services from the IAC.”

ICCBS Director Professor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary said at a meeting held at the ICCBS that the IAC of the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry had become the only analytical entity in the country offering a range of analytical and consultancy services to more than 500 industries and other private and public sector organisations.

He said the IAC was a commercial entity which worked under the auspicious of the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry -- ICCBS.  He further said that the PNAC Laboratory Accreditation Scheme accredits laboratories that conduct tests in the various fields of testing, including microbiological, chemical, food, construction and construction products, electrical, environmental, textiles, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Calibration laboratories support activities of other accredited testing laboratories and provide accurate measurement and traceability to the manufacturing, engineering and the construction sectors as well as to equipment makers.

Talking about the Halal testing facility at the IAC, he said that IAC offers unique service in Pakistan to analyse the non-Halal ingredients in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products.

Prof Choudhary observed that scientists and analysts at the IAC ensured that they were free from chemical, biological or artificial additives which did not comply with Islamic law. 

“The IAC is equipped with world class facilities of research in emerging areas of chemistry and biology. The Industrial Analytical Centre also provides world class trainings on analytical instruments; the centre owns authority to issue certificate of analysis.”