LUCKNOW, May 24 -- The 'delay' in making public the test report of food items' samples collected during the surprise raid by Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) at nearly 20 outlets in Lucknow on May 14 is not only adding to public anxiety but also raising concerns about the efficiency of state's food safety system even as officials concerned cite backlog at food testing laboratories as the reason for it.

Uttar Pradesh has six existing food testing labs in Lucknow, Agra, Meerut, Jhansi, Gorakhpur and Varanasi. "Massive backlog at food testing laboratories has severely hampered the FSDA's ability to carry out timely testing and enforcement," said an official of FSDA on the condition of anonymity.

The raids sparked widespread debat...