Panaji, July 16 (IANS): Holland-based The Odournet Group has launched India's first odour laboratory in Goa, which the company claims can qualitatively assess odour of a wide range of products.

The products include those manufactured in the fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, chemical, automotive, food, personal care, fragrance and appliance sectors.

The lab would also function as a scent assessor in the field of environment and pollution management.

Odour assessment techniques help evaluate consumer goods and help effectively market products, said Rajal Shinkre, director of business development and operations, Odournet Holding India.

"Consumer goods and fragrances can be evaluated for different odour parameters -- is it a high or low odour concentration, strong or weak odour, pleasant or unpleasant, how long it lasts, the efficacy of odour reduction of a product -- that can help companies in claim support and marketing their products," she said.

The odour laboratory in Goa, India, is the seventh such laboratory operated globally by The Odournet Group which also has a presence in Europe and Latin America.

Shinkre also said that Odournet is in the process of conceiving India's first city pollution network, in which, web-based technology would be used to map the pollution levels and evaluate citizen inputs in India's top cities.