Lok Sabha Question No. 6173 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-11
Subject: Quality of Packaged Foods
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: R.K. BHARATHI MOHAN, V. SATHYABAMA, P.R. SUNDARAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6173

ANSWERED ON 11 TH   April, 2017

## QUALITY OF PACKAGED FOODS

## 6173.  SHRI BHARATHI MOHAN R.K.: SHRIMATI V. SATHYA BAMA: SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

Will the Minister of FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has developed innovative and latest scientific technology in  food processing sector to provide high quality packaged food in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the quantum of food processed during the last five years;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to facilitate and maintain food safety in the country; and
- (d) the  various  stringent  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  control  and  curb  the  illegal dumping and hoarding of chinese food products in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a)  &  (b)  :  Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries  (MoFPI)  under  its  scheme  of  Research  & Development  in  Processed  Food  Sector,  extends  financial  assistance  as  grant-in-aid  to  various institutions/  universities,  Public  funded  organizations  and  recognized  Research  &  Development (R&D) laboratories both in public and private sector, to promote and undertake demand driven R&D work in food processing sector including development of innovative and latest scientific technology to  provide  high  quality  packaged  food.  Details  of  R&D  projects  in  the  field  of  food  packaging technology  assisted  by  MoFPI  are  at Annexure-I .  This  helps  in  increasing  the  quantum  of  food processed.

- (c): As  per  information  received  from  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI) under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, FSSAI has issued various regulations such as: i) Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses)           Regulations, 2011; ii) Food  Safety  and  Standards  (Food  Product  Standards  and  Food  Additives)  Regulations,  2011;  iii) Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011 and iv) Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.

The implementation and enforcement of the provisions  of Food Safety  and Standards Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations made thereunder primarily rests with the State/UT Governments. FSSAI  is  also  taking  comprehensive  steps  for  consumer  awareness  generation  and  redressal  of consumer complaints and to achieve this goal, it has recently launched a consumer connect initiative under which consumers can reach FSSAI through multiple modes such as SMS, WhatsApp, twitter, FSSAI App, Toll Free Number, FSSAI Facebook Page and Food Safety Voice.

- (d):  FSSAI regulates import of food articles to check for  safety and quality of food products being imported into  the  country.    FSSAI  is  present  at  six  ports.  viz.  Delhi,  Mumbai,  Kolkata,  Chennai, Cochin  and  Tuticorin.    Food  Import  Clearance  System  (FICS)  of  FSSAI  is  an  online  system operational at above mentioned six ports . Food products   when referred to FSSAI for clearance by the  Custom  Authorities  under    Risk  Managements  System    are  subjected  to  visual  inspection, sampling and testing in  order to determine  whether or not they conform to the safety  and quality standards in respect of the imported food  products established and laid down under various Food Safety  and  Standards  Regulations.      Only  after  such  conformity  is  established  on  the  basis  of laboratory report, NOCs (No Objection Certificates) are issued for the consignments. Further, vide order No. 1-13/FSSAI/DP/2008 dated 15.06.2016 , FSSAI has imposed and extended ban on import of milk and milk products, including chocolates and chocolate products and candies/confectionary/food preparations with milk and milk solids as ingredients from China upto 23.06.2017.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6173 ANSWERED ON 11.04.2017 REGARDING QUALITY OF PACKAGED FOODS.

|   .S. No. | Title of the Project                                                                                                             | Details of Principal Investigators and their Institutes                                                                                        |
|-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Development of Degradable Food Packaging Technology "Green-PACK'                                                                 | Dr. Vimal Katiyar Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.                                                |
|         2 | Package of Technologies for On-farm Processing, Value Addition and Safe Storage of Onions                                        | Dr. V. R. Sinija Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology, Thanjavur.                                                                    |
|         3 | Synthesis and Characterization of Nano-Cellulose and its Application in Biodegradable Polymer Composite Films for Food Packaging | Dr. Shashank T. Mhaske Department of Polymer and Surface Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, University of Mumbai, Matunga, Mumbai. |
|         4 | Biodegradable Polymer based Thermally Conductive Packaging Films 'Thermo-Pack'                                                   | Dr. Vimal Katiyar Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.                                                |
|         5 | Processing and Packaging of Tender Coconut Water for Rural Market                                                                | Dr. N.C. Saha, Director, Indian Institute of Packaging , Andheri, Mumbai                                                                       |
|         6 | Development of Antimircobial polymeric nanocomposite film from PET waste for packaging of milk and milk products                 | Dr. P.P. Kundu, Prof &Head Department of polymer, Science and Technology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata                                      |