Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda has called for ongoing collaboration, continuous innovation and strong commitments to improve food safety systems. Inaugurating the Global Food Regulators Summit in New Delhi today, Mr Nadda emphasized how the rapid globalization, technological advancements and evolving consumer preferences are reshaping the food systems. He also emphasized the pivotal role of Health Ministry and FSSAI in setting food standards, aligned with evolving food production, consumption trends and global trade.
The Health Minister said, the pesticide residues in food pose risks to human health. He said, India’s efforts in promoting organic farming and alternative pest control methods are steps in this right direction, but more widespread adoption is needed globally. He said, increasing plastic waste, which makes up 80 percent of marine pollution is a matter of grave concern. Mr Nadda said, recently, reports have revealed the alarming presence of microplastics in humans. He said, India’s efforts in developing eco-friendly packaging solutions are crucial for reducing environmental impact and ensuring these alternatives are safe for health. He added that the Government with an aim to scale up research across various sectors, including food safety, announced the establishment of the National Research Foundation with a budget of almost 5.96 billion dollars from 2024 to 2028.
Speaking on the occasion, Food Minister Pralhad Joshi emphasized that collaboration between food regulators, research organizations and consumer affairs departments is crucial for driving innovation and ensuring that policies prioritize both consumer protection and environmental sustainability. He highlighted the Government’s efforts in building a strong Rice Fortification ecosystem to ensure nutrition security. Mr Joshi also exchanged ideas on strengthening food safety systems and regulatory frameworks. He commended the Eat Right Initiative as a prime example of FSSAI’s commitment to consumer rights, highlighting that purity of actions fosters purity of thought.
On the occasion, Mr Nadda and Mr Joshi launched two digital platforms including India’s Food Import Rejection Alert portal FIRA which will facilitate the exchange of information on food import rejections. FIRA serves as an online alert notification platform for the public and relevant food safety authorities. The Ministers also launched a millet recipe show in Doordarshan and released 6th State Food Safety Index 2023-24. Mr Nadda also presented awards to best performing states. Kerala bagged the 1st position while Tamil Nadu secured 2nd position. Jammu and Kashmir got the third position and Gujarat got special mention award.
