AIFPA

India must develop indigenous capacities in food processing equipment manufacturing to reduce its reliance on imports, even as it aims to harness its agricultural advantage to become a global hub in food processing, a senior government official said on Thursday. Read More

The national food regulator has issued a notice seeking nominations for the members of Central Advisory Committee (CAC) of FSSAl. Read More

The Supreme Court of India has issued a decisive directive to the central government to finalize long-pending regulations on front-of-pack food labeling (FoPNL), underscoring the urgency of combating rising rates of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases in the country. Read More

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday urged Indian exporters to increase the utilization of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and address non-tariff barriers in a meeting with Export Promotion Councils and industry representatives. Goyal highlighted the development of a centralized exporters’ portal to make Indian exporters more discoverable to global buyers and boost exports of services and value-added goods. Discussions also covered India’s ongoing trade pact negotiations with the European Union and the United States. Industry experts emphasized the need to support exporters in complying with upcoming EU regulations like the Digital Product Passport (DPP), effective January 1, 2026. The DPP mandates comprehensive digital tracking of a product’s lifecycle, impacting sectors such as electronics, batteries, textiles, and construction materials. Approximately 9-10 FTAs are currently in the pipeline, including agreements with Chile and New Zealand, with some aiming for an early harvest.

India’s duty cuts on British automobile imports under the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) primarily apply to the luxury vehicle segment, while the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is excluded, a UK official confirmed. Tariffs on a limited quota of vehicles will be reduced from over 100% to 10%. The FTA protects sensitive sectors on both sides: dairy products for India and sugar and milled rice for the UK. The treaty, spanning thousands of pages, will undergo detailed legal review over the next few months before parliamentary approval. Key provisions include mobility commitments, allowing 1,800 professionals such as yoga instructors and chefs to work annually in each country. The deal also opens government procurement, enabling UK firms to bid for Indian public projects. Separately, the trade pact with the EU is progressing quickly and may conclude soon. Discussions are ongoing to create a centralized exporters’ data portal to boost trade transparency. The Indian government has allocated ₹18,233 crore for the RODTEP scheme this financial year, supporting over 10,750 export product categories. Benefits for goods manufactured in SEZs and export-oriented units have been restored from June 1. The India-UK FTA is expected to increase bilateral trade by £25 billion.

In a landmark move to promote sustainability in food packaging, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has officially issued comprehensive guidelines for the acceptance of recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) as Food Contact Material (FCM). Read More

New research presented in Helsinki at the 2025 European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) 57th Annual Meeting demonstrated new health and wellbeing benefits to certain mother and baby groups from consumption of A2 Milk and infant formula containing A2 Milk. Read More

India-US trade: New Delhi is advocating for a “zero-for-zero” tariff deal — complete elimination of tariffs on goods from both sides. But Washington is reportedly insisting on maintaining a 10% tariff on Indian goods. Read More

The order in this direction by the food safety authority of the country saysthat the closure report has been made mandatory to maintain transparency and traceability in the licensing framework. Read More

The FSSAI has recognised the National Food and Feed Reference Laboratory (NFFRL), Kathmandu, for the analysis of food samples under the FSS Act. According to FSSAI, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Indian Food Authority and the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, Nepal, for the cooperation in the field of food safety, recently. “One of the areas of cooperation under the aegis of the MoU was the mutual recognition of each other’s laboratories as per the policy prevailing from time to time,” said Dr. Satyen Kumar Panda, Advisor, FSSAI. Accordingly the NFFRL was recognised for the analysis of food samples under the FSS Act till the period of accreditation of the laboratory as per NABL. The NFFRL now can analyse  juice, jam, jelly, pickles, candies, ginger, fresh fruits & vegetables, and instant noodles.