Food Processing

Govt to set up 100 food testing labs, 50 food irradiation centres: Paswan

Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan on Monday said the government will build 100 food testing labs and 50 food irradiation centres as part of its efforts to boost processing levels and ensure quality. The minister asked the industry not to compromise on the quality of products as this will affect not only brands but the country's image as well. He said the ministry will set up 100 food testing labs to ensure that products meet standard norms set by regulators. The minister assured the industry that he would try to address any issues and challenges affecting the growth of the food processing sector. Addressing a Ficci seminar, Paswan emphasised the need to minimise wastage and promote value addition. The minister also exhorted industry players to make India a global food basket. "Indian food products should become popular globally. Indian food standards should be recognised as global standards," Paswan said. To boost processing levels, Paswan said as many as 50 food ...

Govt undertook many reforms for food processing sector growth: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the government has undertaken many reforms in the last 10 years for the growth of the food processing sector and the effort is to ensure that India sets global benchmarks for innovation, sustainability and safety in the food sector. The Prime Minister's message was read at the third edition of World Food India 2024, which is being held in the national capital from September 19 to 22. The event will see participation from over 90 countries. "In the modern era, through progressive agricultural practices, strong administrative frameworks and cutting-edge technologies, our effort is to ensure that India sets global benchmarks for innovation, sustainability and safety in the food sector," Modi said. During the last 10 years, he said the government has introduced wide-ranging reforms to transform the food processing sector. "Through multi-dimensional initiatives such as 100 per cent FDI in food processing, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana,

Govt invites EoI to build multiproduct food irradiation units under PMKSY

The government has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from entrepreneurs for the setting up multiproduct food irradiation units under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY). The last date for submission of EoI/ proposals is September 21, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries said in a statement. The entities are required to submit their proposals online only at https://www.sampada-mofpi.gov.in/ with relevant details under "PRADHAN MANTRI KISAN SAMPADA YOJANA". A financial assistance in the form of grants-in-aid/ subsidy will be provided to the eligible projects under the demand-driven Cold Chain scheme. All proposals are required to be prepared and submitted on or before the due date as per the scheme guidelines.

Big fat Indian wedding: At Rs 10 trn, expenses 2nd only to food, grocery

The Indian wedding industry size of approximately Rs 10 lakh crore (USD 130 billion) is second only to food and grocery, with an average Indian spending twice on marriage ceremony than education, a report said. India sees 80 lakh to 1 crore weddings annually compared to 70-80 lakh in China and 20-25 lakh in the US. "The Indian wedding industry is nearly double the size of the industry in the US (USD 70 billion), albeit smaller than China (USD 170 billion)," brokerage Jefferies said in a report. Weddings are the second largest consumption category in India. "Weddings, if they were a category, would rank as the second largest retail category only behind food and grocery (USD 681 billion)," it said. Weddings in India are elaborate and characterised by a range of ceremonies and spending. The industry spurs consumption in categories like jewellery and apparel and indirectly benefits autos and electronics. Despite political efforts to curb them, luxury weddings at exotic locations continu

'Food industry should be responsible; returned goods tarnish reputation'

India earns a bad name whenever a food consignment is returned over quality concern, Food Processing Industries Secretary Anita Praveen said on Wednesday asking food companies to become a little more responsible. Addressing a FICCI 'FOODWORLD India 2024', she asked the industry to supply top-quality products in domestic and overseas markets by meeting international quality standards. The secretary highlighted that the food processing sector is important for the Indian economy and provides huge employment opportunities. Praveen said the food processing sector plays an important role in improving the income of farmers. She noted that India is a big market for processed foods and therefore many global companies are interested in entering this space. "Let us be the suppliers rather than letting someone else do that. It is our industry's responsibility to make sure that supplies are sustained not just in quantity but also in quality," Praveen told senior management of food companies ..

Govt aims to boost use of AI in food processing to improve efficiency

India plans to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the food processing sector to improve efficiency, enhance farmers' incomes and reduce the environmental impact, officials said on Wednesday. At a conference organised by NIFTEM (National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management) on using frontier technologies in the sector, senior bureaucrats and government advisors stressed the need for a roadmap to deploy AI tools, which are still at a nascent stage in the country's massive food processing industry. "As an industry, we need to create a roadmap. The MEITY secretary has come on board. I am sure he is going to be a big support in this endeavour," Food Processing Secretary Anita Praveen said, referring to the secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY). MEITY Secretary S Krishnan pitched for wider adoption of AI, saying some work was already happening in agriculture but the food processing sector was still in the ..

Infant food formulated globally, stereotype charges unfortunate: Nestle

Nestle India Chairman & Managing Director Suresh Narayanan on Monday asserted that the company's infant food formulation for children below 18 months is done on a global basis and the allegation that "it is racially stereotyped is unfortunate" and untrue. Addressing reporters here, he said the amount of sugar content in infant foods is determined by the capability to meet the nutrition profile of a particular age group and that is universal. Nestle India's added sugar content in Cerelac is much lower than the upper limit prescribed by FSSAI, he added. "There is nothing in this product that makes it a product that is potentially of any risk or any kind of harm to the child," he said. As far as Nestle is concerned, he said a majority of sugars present in the product are natural sugars. As per the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the permissible level of added sugar is 13.6 grams per 100 grams of feed. "Nestle is 7.1 grams, which is well below the standards and

Govt orders weekly wheat stocks reporting from April 1 to prevent hoarding

The stock holding limit on wheat is also set to expire on March 31, 2024 after which traders have to give details of their inventories on a regular basis

Kiren Rijiju takes additional charge of food processing industries ministry

Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday took additional charge as the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries. Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Union Food Processing Industries Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras. After this, Rijiju was given the additional charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. In a post on social media platform 'X', Rijiju thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for assigning him the additional responsibility of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. "While we are in the midst of seeking people's blessings for Modi ji to serve the people of India, we will not waste a single moment to make India 3rd biggest economy of the world in Modi ji's 3rd term and to fulfill his ultimate target to make India a fully developed nation by 2047 #ViksitBharat," he said. In another post on X, Rijiju said, "I have formally assumed the office as Minister of Food Processing Industries. Had meeting with Secretary and

Largest Australian delegation attending India food industry fair: Official

Australian food brands seek a market of 25-30 million people in India's Tier-I and Tier-II cities, he says

Govt mulls tweaking PLI schemes in textile, food processing, pharma: Report

The government is considering tweaking production linked incentive (PLI) schemes for certain sectors including textiles, food processing, and pharmaceuticals, a senior official said on Tuesday. The official said that a Cabinet note is finalised to seek approval for the changes from the top authorities. The changes would help these sectors attract more players. The scheme was announced in 2021 for 14 sectors, including telecommunication, white goods, textiles, manufacturing of medical devices, automobiles, speciality steel, food products, high-efficiency solar PV modules, advanced chemistry cell battery, drones and pharma with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore. While certain sectors like electronics are doing well, others are not performing up to the mark. The government has disbursed Rs 4,415 crore under PLI schemes for eight sectors, including electronics and pharma, till October this fiscal. A total of Rs 1,515 crore was disbursed in FY24 till October, while it was Rs 2,900 crore

Do not to use newspapers for food packaging: FSSAI to food vendors

Food regulator FSSAI has asked food vendors and consumers to immediately stop using newspapers for packing, serving and storage of food items citing significant health risks. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is closely working with state food authorities to monitor and enforce regulations in this regard. FSSAI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) G Kamala Vardhana Rao has "strongly urged consumers and food vendors across the country to immediately stop using newspapers for packing, serving and storing food items." He expressed concern over the use of newspapers for wrapping or packaging food and also pointed out significant health risks associated with this practice. "The ink used in newspapers contains various bioactive materials with known negative health effects, which can contaminate food and lead to health issues when ingested," FSSAI cautioned on Wednesday. Additionally, printing inks may contain chemicals, including lead and heavy metals, that can leach into th

AP, SBI ink deal to upgrade, establish 7,500 micro food processing units

The Andhra Pradesh Food Processing Society (APFPS) and the State Bank of India (SBI) have entered into an agreement on Tuesday to upgrade and support the establishment of at least 7,500 micro food processing units in the state. This agreement will be executed in the ongoing 2023-24 fiscal under the Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme. This partnership with a financial powerhouse like SBI will provide a significant boost to micro food processing enterprises in the state, said APFPS Chief Executive Sridhar Reddy in a press release, adding that maximum number of units will be covered. As part of this deal, SBI will offer collateral-free loans of up to Rs 10 lakh to eligible beneficiaries, following the guidelines of the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) under the Agri Infrastructure Fund. SBI has already sanctioned over 500 loans under the PMFME scheme in the previous fiscal, emerging as a major lending ..

Food Processing Ministry seeks suggestions for 'World Food India' event

The Food Processing Industries Ministry on Thursday said it has sought suggestions from other ministries and departments for the second edition 'World Food India 2023' to be held during the first week of November. The first edition of the 'World Food India' was launched in 2017 with the objective of introducing the world to rich Indian food culture as well as promoting investments in the diverse food processing sector of the country. The second edition aims to celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets and to bring the global food processing industry together. An inter-ministerial committee meeting, chaired by Anita Praveen, recently discussed the government's preparedness so far for this event, an official statement said. "All central ministries and departments were requested to share suggestions on the planned sessions of World Food India and participate in the event activities as well as support the ministry in awareness creation," it said. Further, the Investment ...

Govt pays PLI incentives worth Rs 2,874 crore towards 8 sectors in FY23

Empowered group of secretaries, Aayog review some sectors to bring them to 'acceptable levels'

Food processing industry invests Rs 4,900 cr under PLI scheme so far: Govt

The government on Thursday said the food processing industry has made an investment of Rs 4,900 crore under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme so far. The PLI scheme for the food processing industry, with an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore, was approved on March 2021. It is to be implemented for a period of seven years till 2026-27. "Under the PLI scheme for food processing industry, a total of 182 applications have been approved under different categories," an official statement said. This includes 30 applications (8 large entities and 22 SMEs) under the PLI scheme for millets-based products, it said. "As per the data being reported by the PLI scheme beneficiaries, investment of about Rs 4900 crores has been made under the scheme," the statement said. Incentives amounting to Rs 800 crore are likely to be disbursed in the current financial year. Sales-based incentive of Rs 107.3 crore has been disbursed so far, it added. According to the food ministry, stakeholder consultatio

Food processing sector critical for economy, job creation: Niti Aayog CEO

Niti Aayog CEO Parameswaran Iyer on Friday said the food processing sector is critical for the Indian economy as well as job creation and stressed on ramping up production and exports of processed items. Addressing a CII seminar here, Iyer said there is a need to encourage the MSME sector to enter the food processing sector, which he described as a very important sector for the health of the economy and people. He underlined that food processing can boost farmers income and also help in achieving nutritional goals. Iyer said there is a need to augment primary processing at farm level. Stating that food security has become important in the current global context, he said the government has taken a number of steps in this regard. The Niti Aayog CEO highlighted that there has been a steady growth in agriculture. On the food processing front also, Iyer said a number of initiatives have been taken by the government, including the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. "This is a v

Govt refuses to pay excess Kisan Rail subsidy, Rlys 'writes off' Rs 71 cr

The Railways had to write off Rs 71.86 crore it spent as excess subsidy on Kisan Rail Services last fiscal, after the Ministry of Food Processing Industries refused to bear the additional cost citing a Rs 50-crore ceiling for the initiative, documents show. According to official data, the Railways spent Rs 121.86 crore as subsidy under the scheme which is more than double the amount of Rs 50 crore sanctioned in 2021-22 by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) for the pro-farmer initiative. The national transporter was forced to "write off" the excess expenditure of Rs 71.86 crore after the MoFPI -- the nodal ministry for implementing the 'Operation Greens - TOP to total' scheme under which Kisan Rails operate -- deciding not to reimburse the outstanding amount. Under the scheme, a 50 per cent subsidy is offered directly to farmers and traders on railway transportation charges for fruits and vegetables. A ceiling of Rs 50 crore was set by the MoFPI as subsidy for the las

B2B food processing start-up Suite42 raises $4.3 mn in seed funding

Suite42 says its technology helps clients to make fair price discovery, reduce processing cost

Best of BS Opinion: Beyond $400 billion, food processing potential & more

Here are the best of BS Opinion pieces of the day