The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) hosted first Indo-Japan Food Forum here on Thursday, with an aim to showcase the strong advantages exhibited by Japanese food and technology, both in terms of taste and benefits to health.
The objective of the forum was to promote Japanese food and its favourable food preparation methods and techniques effectively in India.
It was co-sponsored by Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (Assocham).
The forum is also expected to open doors to Japanese food processing companies with advanced technology to invest in India.
Tsunemasa Teramoto, Adviser to the Export Promotion Division of MAFF, said that food ingredients and habits in Japan could be beneficial for Indians that had inclined toward obesity and various other diseases owing to change in the dietary and lifestyle habits after the increase in disposable income in the recent past.
"This has become a serious contributing factor towards obesity and various other diseases owing to the fast-paced lifestyles that we all lead. There are a lot of food ingredients and habits in Japan that could be beneficial in enriching the taste and improving Indian food habits," he said.
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"We believe that it is essential to take counter-measures to overcome these ailments and thus, we thought of bringing to India ingredients and proven food processing methods that have played a crucial role as advocates of health in Japan," Teramoto added.
The forum witnessed presence of famous chefs, government officials and members from known Japanese food processing companies.
--IANS
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