Lok Sabha Question No. 6404 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-02
Subject: Food Quality in Food Processing Industries
Ministry: FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Shri Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6404

ANSWERED ON 02 ND  APRIL, 2026

## FOOD QUALITY IN FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES

## 6404.   SHRI SUKANTA KUMAR PANIGRAHI:

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

- (a) the steps taken to strengthen food quality, safety standards and value addition in food processing industries across the country;
- (b) the details of schemes being implemented to promote Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and small entrepreneurs in food processing and allied activities under Mega Food Parks and other initiatives;
- (c) the  details  of  budget  allocation,  funds  sanctioned  and  expenditure  incurred  for promoting food processing units, Mega Food Parks and SHG-based food processing enterprises during the last five years, State-wise; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  expand  support  for  SHG-led  food  processing units, skill training, modern technology and market linkages, particularly in rural and tribal  areas  including  Odisha,  to  enhance  food  production,  processing  capacity  and employment generation and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI RAVNEET SINGH)

(a): Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down sciencebased standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. To maintain the food quality, FSSAI has established a network of 252 food testing laboratories for analysis of food samples and 24 Referral Food Laboratories for the analysis of appellate samples by empaneling food testing laboratories of various govt institutes, states and of private entities.  Apart  from  this,  there  are  305  mobile  food  testing  laboratories  or  Food  Safety  on Wheels (FSW) to combat adulteration in various food commodities, currently, deployed across 35 States/UTs.

FSSAI  has  issued  an  advisory  dated  03.11.2025  reiterating  strict  compliance  with environmentally sound procedures for disposal of seized, rejected, and expired food items, in line with earlier guidelines dated 21.12.2020 issued under Sections 38(4) and 47(4) of the Food Safety & Standards (FSS) Act 2006.

Further, FSSAI through its regional offices and also through the State/UT Food Safety Departments, carry out regular inspections & audits of all food business operators of all food products to ensure compliance with the standards & statutory requirements established under the FSS Act, 2006 and the Regulations made thereunder.

Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries  (MoFPI)  has  been  incentivizing  setting up/expansion of food processing infrastructure through its two Central Sector Schemes namely Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  SAMPADA  Yojana  (PMKSY)  and  Production  Linked  Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) and a Centrally sponsored PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme across the country.

Schemes of MoFPI are, inter  alia,  intended  to  increase  the  level  of  processing  and decreasing the post-harvest losses and develop value-added products.

(b): Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) & Self Help Groups (SHGs) are eligible to apply under the schemes implemented by MoFPI. Under PMKSY, quantum of grant is provided at enhanced level of 50% of eligible project cost, in comparison to 35% for proposals from general areas  (Subject  to  the  maximum  ceiling  under  respective  sub-schemes)  to  Farmer  Producer Organizations (FPOs) & Self Help Groups (SHGs).

Under Branding and Marketing component of the PMFME scheme, support is provided to  Farmer  Producer  Organizations  /Self  Help  Groups/Cooperatives  or  a  Special  Purpose Vehicle of micro food processing enterprises for developing a common packaging & branding with provision for quality control, standardization, and adhering to food safety parameters for consumer retail sale.

The Mega Food Park Scheme has been discontinued by MOFPI since 01.04.2021. So far, MoFPI has approved 41 Mega Food Parks in the country.

(c): No  state-wise  budget  allocation  is  done  under  PMKSY  &  PLISFPI.  Year-wise  total allocation & funds utilized under PMKSY & PLISFPI since 2020-21 and funds released to State/UT -wise under PMFME schemes since 2020-21 are at Annexure.

(d): MoFPI provides financial assistance to the eligible entrepreneurs including SHGs, as per respective schemes guidelines across the country including Odisha.

Under  the  Capacity  Building  component  of  PMFME  Scheme,  MoFPI  provides assistance for training of Trainers, District Resource Persons, Entrepreneurs and various other groups for Entrepreneurship Development Skilling (EDP+) & product specific skilling to meet the requirement of food processing industry.

Schemes implemented by MoFPI aim towards creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet which includes storage, transportation,  value  addition  etc.,  thereby  enhancing  productivity,  reducing  wastage  of agricultural produce, reduction in post-harvest losses, increasing the processing level and thereby  creating  off-farm  employment  opportunities  including  rural  and  urban  areas  of Odisha.

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ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  6404 FOR ANSWER  ON  02 ND  APRIL, 2026 REGARDING 'FOOD QUALITY IN FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES'

## Details of funds allocated and funds utilized in PMKSY & PLISFPI schemes of MoFPI

(Rs in Crores)

R.E.-Revised Estimates, A.E.- Actual Expenditure

|                                   | 2020-21                           | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2022-23   | 2023-24    | 2023-24   | 2024-25   | 2024-25   |
|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Scheme                            | R.E.                              | A.E.      | R.E.      | A.E.      | R.E.      | A.E       | R.E.       | A.E       | R.E.      | A.E       |
| 750.00                            | 667.05                            | 791       | 713.49    |           | 673.00    | 561.92    | 745 666.20 | 630       | 540.12    | PMKSY     |
| PLISFPI Scheme started in 2021-22 | PLISFPI Scheme started in 2021-22 | 10        | 9.27      |           | 801       | 489.83    | 1150       | 590.50    | 700       | 450.49    |

## State-wise funds released under PMFME Scheme since 2020-21

(Rs in Crores)

|   Sl. No. | State                    |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |
|-----------|--------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|         1 | Andaman &Nicobar Islands |      1.82 |      1.92 |      0.34 |      0.38 |      0    |
|         2 | Andhra Pradesh           |     34.98 |     25.12 |     18.57 |     46.25 |     10.62 |
|         3 | Arunachal Pradesh        |      0.15 |      7.34 |      0.03 |     11.09 |      8    |
|         4 | Assam                    |     16.71 |     15.96 |     18.12 |     43.88 |     51.99 |
|         5 | Bihar                    |      9.05 |     13.59 |      1.61 |     88.65 |    100.39 |
|         6 | Chandigarh               |      0.4  |      1.06 |      0.44 |      0.31 |      0    |
|         7 | Chhattisgarh             |      7.04 |      8.88 |      1.44 |      7.69 |      7    |
|         8 | D&NH and Daman &Diu      |      0.4  |      0.89 |      0.14 |      0    |      0    |
|         9 | Delhi                    |      0.5  |      0.32 |      1.15 |      0.5  |      4.25 |
|        10 | Goa                      |      0.41 |      3.14 |      1.81 |      2.08 |      2.5  |
|        11 | Gujarat                  |     16.55 |      8.53 |      1.98 |      7.02 |     15    |
|        12 | Haryana                  |      3.23 |      3.98 |      5.46 |     11.25 |     25    |
|        13 | Himachal Pradesh         |      5.19 |      7.64 |     13.75 |     57.12 |      3.49 |
|        14 | Jammu &Kashmir           |      8.19 |      1.5  |      2.16 |      2.68 |     25.75 |
|        15 | Jharkhand                |      2.69 |      1.74 |      0    |      9.79 |     14.22 |
|        16 | Karnataka                |     32.47 |     21.48 |     31.07 |     27.76 |     57.5  |
|        17 | Kerala                   |     10.13 |      3.46 |      3.99 |     29.52 |     31.27 |
|        18 | Ladakh                   |      0.45 |      0.93 |      2.32 |      0.36 |      3    |
|        19 | Lakshadweep              |      0.4  |      0.61 |      0    |      0    |      0    |
|        20 | Madhya Pradesh           |     20.62 |      9.93 |      9.98 |     44.97 |     62.16 |
|        21 | Maharashtra              |     27.58 |     26.6  |     76.87 |    120    |    175.44 |

|   22 | Manipur       |   3.14 |   9.09 |   0.00 |   0.00 |   0.00 |
|------|---------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
|   23 | Meghalaya     |   2.69 |   3.04 |   0.39 |   1    |   3.71 |
|   24 | Mizoram       |   7.73 |   2.94 |   0    |   0    |   0    |
|   25 | Nagaland      |   6.64 |   5.9  |   0.41 |   3.97 |   3.75 |
|   26 | Odisha        |  30.37 |  29.93 |   2.97 |  15.46 |  18.03 |
|   27 | Puducherry    |   1.16 |   0.79 |   0.68 |   2.46 |   3    |
|   28 | Punjab        |   5.76 |   9.36 |  16.31 |  30.65 |  72.89 |
|   29 | Rajasthan     |  14.51 |  13.44 |   4.79 |  16.98 |   4.9  |
|   30 | Sikkim        |   5.12 |   1.51 |   1.75 |   0.91 |   5.86 |
|   31 | Tamil Nadu    |  12.95 |   3.23 |  24.02 |  72    |  98.59 |
|   32 | Telangana     |  33.16 |  16.88 |   2.31 |  15.4  |  47.82 |
|   33 | Tripura       |   3.11 |  10.35 |   0.15 |   1.13 |   3.75 |
|   34 | Uttar Pradesh |  36.29 |  24.08 |  21.06 |  79.55 | 140.07 |
|   35 | Uttarakhand   |   6.03 |   2.26 |   2.45 |   8.24 |  14.06 |
|   36 | West Bengal   |   0    |   0    |   0    |   6.28 |   2.5  |

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