Kundli (Haryana), Jan. 10 (ANI): Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Tariq Anwar on Thursday said that it was the need of the hour to take measures to improve food safety and the focus should be on emerging food pathogens, risk analysis and assessment and techniques involved in detection.
Talking on food safety, Anwar said 'it is of utmost importance to provide hygienic food to the consumers in India as well abroad'.
Anwar, who was addressing the first international conference on innovations in food processing, value chain management and food safety at National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Campus, Kundli, Haryana, described the food processing sector as the sunrise sector of the Indian economy, and said that farmers who are the starting point of value chain should get benefit from various levels of food processing.
"This sector had the potential for employment and income generation," he added.
Talking about NIFTEM, Anwar said that it was conceived as the Centre of excellence in the field of food technology and was established to cater to the needs of food processing sector.
It provides core services between the demand and availability chain and works for upgradation of SME cluster. At present NIFTEM has 115 students in B. Tech and 88 in M. Tech.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries expressed the hope that this Conference will bring together all the stakeholders of the food processing industry.
A souvenir of IFpvs 2013 was also launched by Anwar on this occasion.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by NIFTEM with University of Nebraska-Lincoln during the event.
Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Rakesh Kacker- Secretary, MoFPI and Chancellor, NIFTEM; Ajit Kumar, Vice Chancellor, NIFTEM and Dr. Harvey Pearlman, Chancellor, University of Nebraska Lincoln, USA.
The Conference was also attended by scientists, technocrats and entrepreneurs, providing impetus to the food processing industry of the country. (ANI)
