Govt declares 2008-09 as 'Food Safety and Quality Year'

NI Wire

New Delhi

Wed, 11 Jun 2008: 

In a bid to ensure safe, quality food, and to promote awareness amongst consumers to demand of hygienic food, the Government of India has declared the year 2008-09 as ‘Food Safety and Quality Year’.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MFPI) on Wednesday convened a seminar at Vigyan Bhan in New Delhi.

Various government authorities, regulators, Ministers and Officers of several departments along with businesspersons, farmers, trainers, consultants were called on to discuss on this serious issue.

Addressing to the seminar on the launching ceremony of ‘Food Safety and Quality Year 2008-09’ in National Seminar on “Food Safety and Quality Management Systems – from Farm to Fork” in the capital, Food Processing Industry Minister, Subodh Kant Sahai said, “Food Safety is a growing concern across the world. There is increasing need to provide greater assurance about the safety and quality of food to consumers.”

Illustrating the role of India in the global food scenario, Subodh added that India had a quite potential in food production, consumption, management and trading. Its enhanced share in world food trade could lead to increasing recognition and adoption of food safety measures.

“Year 2008-09 will be the watershed year for Food Safety and Quality in India with new initiatives being taken by the Ministry of Food Processing, which would be integrated with the schemes and programs already operationalised,” further said Sahay.

Describing the government’s effort in this field, FPI minister said that government had hiked the allocation for this plan from Rs.650-crore to Rs.4031-crore, more than six times increment in this 11th five year plan as against last five-year plan.

For operating this plan, Ministry has shake hands with several other ministries/departments including Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Health, and Department of Consumer Affairs, industries and consumers’ associations, academic institutions etc.

In the 11th plan, Ministry has reformed and identified thrust areas where government will have to work hard like establishing Mega Food parks, constructing integrated cold chain infrastructure at different levels, including farm level primary processing center-cum-cold chain, setting of Collection/Aggregation Centres, and Strategic Distribution Centres and capacity building by setting up National Institute of Technology, Entrepreneurship & Management (NIFTEM) besides establishing and upgrading quality control laboratories, informed Subodh.

Speaking on the same topic, Chief Guest of the Seminar Dr. Syeda Hammed who is the member of planning commission said that food processing is in great demand. “We have to bring this sector from heritage to value addition. Students, farmers and housewives need to be included in this process so that this sector takes an important place in the entire world market.”

Indicating about the huge potential in the north-eastern region, Hammed added, “There are vast possibilities of food processing in North-Eastern States, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Jharkhand etc.”

Meanwhile, Food Safety and Standard Authority Chairman P I Suvrathan signified the value of food sector by stating, “Food sector is an important and dynamic sector and global focus on the quality of food implies that food safety and quality are of paramount importance to sustain and increase India’s food exports.”

“Globalisation and the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers have brought in international competition to the domestic markets, making it essential for Indian industry to adopt strong practices of food safety and quality to be competitive.” he further said.

Stressing on the topic of food wastage that is one of the crucial factor behind the world food crisis as millions-and-millions of tonnes foods and food products has been dumped in the dustbin on account of wastage materials, Girdhar J Gyani, Secretary General, Quality Council of India said, “Lack of processing and storage of fruits and vegetables results in huge wastages, estimated at about 35%, the value of which is approximately Rs. 33,000 crore annually.”

We would have to stop the waste and food safety and would need to maintain high standard to meet the target and to operate the plan successfully, as per Gyani cited.

The MFPI will carry out a yearlong campaign to reach out to all the stakeholders and consumers on food safety and quality initiatives.

Besides government authorities, top officials and businesspersons, traders, retailers, processors, consumers, machine manufacturers, packaging companies, certifying bodies, laboratories, academics, and auditors were also present in the seminar.