Food and Agriculture Section engages in a program on Building Technological Capability for Food Traceability and Food safety. Food safety and quality are vital aspects of food security. The food supply is vulnerable to a range of food hazards (microbiological, chemical, physical) that may arise at any point in the food supply chain. The dramatic increase in the volume of global trade and the complexity of supply chains over recent decades has caused a number of issues around food authenticity and safety.

In Collaboration with Tea Research Institute, a research project titled ‘Applying Isotopic Fingerprinting to Authentication of Ceylon Tea’ is being implemented which is important in international trade.

Another project on animal originated food is being implemented in collaboration with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya.

The division is on a path to applying it to other food items for extending its activities with the aim of ensuring consumer safety and promote international trade.

The Food and Agriculture Section in collaboration with Natural Resources Management Centre, Department of Agriculture engages in soil erosion assessment project using the Fallout Radionuclide technique (FRN) in declared soil conservation area in the country. Parallel to this project a research project on the identification of sources and transport of agro-contaminants in hilly watersheds is also implemented.