Welcome Remarks
By SHRI B P AGARWAL President Indian Biscuits Manufacturers’ Association
Respected Shri SubhodhKant Sahay ji, Hon’e Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Govt of India, Shri Gobind Choudhary, Vice President, IBMA, Shri K P Mohandas, Secretary General, IBMA, Ms Kamakshi Singh Mehlwal, Advocate, Shri D S Chadha, Senior Technical Advisor, CII, friends from the Biscuit and other Food Processing Industries, representatives of various Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, colleagues from the media.

On behalf of IBMA and on my own, I have great pleasure in welcoming Shri Subodh Kant Sahay ji, Hon’ble Minister for Food Processing Industries, Govt of India. Sir, I wholeheartedly welcome you with a Bouquet of Flowers.

I also welcome Smt Kamakshi Singh Mehlwal, Advocate, who is actively associated with IBMA in organizing today’s Seminar on Food Laws – Problems & Prospects. I a welcome our distinguished Expert Speakers – Shri D S Chadha ji, Senior Technical Advisor of CII, Mrs Bhavna Mohindra of Standards Australia Global, Shri U K Saxena of SGS Ltd and Shri S P Arora, Advocate. On behalf of all of us I thank each one of them for their sparing time to make presentations on the various important Topics relating to relevant aspects of the present Food Laws such as PFA Act & Rules 1955, Standards of Weight & Measures Act and Packaged Commodities Rules, 1977 , the forthcoming Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as well as international food regulations like Codex Alimentrius.

The main objective of the Seminar is to afford an opportunity to various segments of food processing industries, including biscuit manufacturers, especially in the Small & Medium Sector, to deliberate on various issues affecting food industry, arising out of the recent amendments in PFA Rules, Packaged Commodities Rules etc, as also the newly enacted integrated Food Safety & Standards Act, 2007 and find solutions to the grey areas in the Food Laws.. The deliberations at the Seminar would also enable participants from food processing industries to undertake comparative study of the existing and new Food Laws viz-a-viz Codex Alimentrius as also to identify Role of Government and Industry to interact with a view to making necessary changes in the existing and the new legislations enabling industry to smoothly implement the relevant Acts/Rules etc.

This Seminar aims to create a unique platform for decision-makers in the government, and all stakeholders in the food processing industry as also consumers.

The Government and more particularly the Ministry of food Processing Industries under the dynamic leadership of Shri Subodh Kant Sahayji, has to be credited on behalf of all stake holders for thecreation of the integrated Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. This has taken care of everybody’s long standing demand for consolidating the multiple legislations enforced on the Food industry, leading to hardships both to the industry and the enforcing Departments due to overlapping of various regulations. It is expected that the new Act would result in achieving the objective ensuring safety, high standards and quality of food products and also encourage industry and trade to implement the legislation and Rules thereunder, to be amongst the best in the world.

The Food Processing Industry sector is a vital component of the country’s economy and it has significant grow potential which will be immensely beneficial for all stakeholders including farmers. It will also generate large scale employment opportunities and drive dispersion of food technology, besides providing nutritious food products to the masses in India and also play an important role in exports.

Quantum of manufacturing of processed food in India is still very meager, at 2.5% of the total available agro-products such as fruits, vegetables, food grain etc. Our food industry is thus still in its infancy, as compared to both developed countries and developing countries including China and other south Asian & Asia Pacific region countries

There is therefore dire need not only create more capacity in the Industry, but also evolve an effective mechanism in which the government and industry need to join hands by enabling higher utilization the agro products used as inputs by the food processing industries of varied segments by increasing availability, cold chain supply and transport system. This will in turn expedite growth by increasing availability, affordability of our food products in the country and abroad. While it is better said that our agriculture sector, which is currently stagnating and even declining in many sectors, will be immensely benefited by higher consumption of their products at better prices to the farming community and simultaneously ensure increased production of processed foods, creation of millions of jobs(both in agriculture and industry), however, this is gigantic task, facing lot many hurdles and grey areas which has to be systematically studied and immediate solutions found so that a target growth in the food processing industrial sector can be achieved on continuous basis in the years to come.

Sir, however I wish to draw your kind attention to the fact that there are various grey areas adversely impacting the food processing industry, such as recent amendments in the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules as also the Standards of Weights & Measures(Packaged Commodities)Rules, 1977, most of which have been illustrated in our Background Paper of the Seminar.

In this context, IBMA has taken the initiative to organize today’s Seminar so that the Views/Suggestions of the Food Industry as well as specific and detailed clause wise objections/comments of the various segments of food processing industries, on the above mentioned Notifications /Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 and allied issues, which are being formulated by various Associations/Chambers, can be deliberated and consolidated and presented to the Government, on existing and new Food Laws.

Sir, I once again welcome you and request you to kindly inaugurate the Seminar and address the participants.