On 31st July, 2024, Food Marketing & Technology Magazine hosted a Virtual Panel Discussion on “Food Safety: Evaluating the Dynamics in India” with Anurag Mishra, General Manager, Quality Assurance and Food Safety, Shree Renuka Sugars and Rakhi Gupta, Quality and Food Safety Manager, Whole Earth Brands. The food safety experts shed insights on various themes of the the food safety vertical in India.
In the light of recent food safety incidents in India, it is vital to re-evaluate India’s food safety and quality practices everywhere to ensure a lack of repetition of such incidents and maintain an overall good quality of food safety system. It is essential to follow the basics of food safety that we used to follow in our kitchen and add on the control measures coming out of the detailed risk assessment.
Food safety issues are particularly alarming for F&B industry but at the same time, they hold a wide spectrum of opportunities for all the food safety professionals. Beyond bigger organizations, smaller restaurant chains will be requiring food safety professionals as well to ensure food safety. This is an integral time for food safety awareness and work to reach to a wider network to ensure a safer and smoother functioning.
Going by Mr. Anurag Mishra’s words “Food Safety in India is a necessity and not an add on”, these are some of the insights that were drawn in the session.
Levels of Food Safety
The various levels of Food Safety include- Design ( food product, equipment, plant) , Buying (raw material,services, product) , Making (manufacturing) , Selling, and Listening.
Government Interventions
Over the years, several amendments have been passed in India in the Food Safety realm. Recently, FSSAI announced the simplification of the certification process. This is to say, earlier there were a number of certificates that a company had to get. Now, just one FSSAI certification is all that companies require. This is essential and useful for manufacturers as it reduces investment labour. Moreover, instead of passing a ton of certification challenges, one major unit that monitors everything can reduce time, increase quality, and efficiency.
Progress has also been met in other areas. Enhancement of laboratories has occurred over the years which is what lays down the foundational work for food safety and there has been an upgrade in the food safety standards for specific products, packaging, labelling, and regulation.
Government interventions have played a major role in re-evaluating and shifting food safety paradigms in India. Moreover, check sheets, Standard of operation, elevated standards, and laying down all basic principles are making a world of a difference.
Budgetary Factors
There is no doubt that a significant amount has to be paid with every intervention. However, it is essential to partake in all the interventions to ensure utmost quality, reliability, validity, and safety of a product. There are however, ways to make the financial aspect a little easier for companies.
Through government support, grants, subsidies, low interest loans, and collaborations, a significant price deduction can be ensured while maintaining the food safety standards.
Conclusion
Overall, the discussion traversed through various parameters that will make the food safety unit in India more qualitative. FSSAI has introduced various initiatives over the years and the work to be at par with global standards while simultaneously interacting with them is making a difference.
The work being done right now will amplify the functioning of the systems and put the food safety vertical ahead of its curve in the coming years. With continuous effort, food safety in India will hold a promising future.
