AIFPA

The Indian government has launched a series of subsidy schemes to strengthen the food processing industry, targeting units of all sizes—from micro to large-scale operations—to curb food wastage and improve the shelf life of perishable items like fruits and vegetables. The announcement came from Subrata Gupta, Secretary of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, during an interactive session hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on Monday night. Read More

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced a new Kind of Business (KoB) for Anganwadi Centres (run under the Integrated Child Development Service), as these centres provide supplementary nutrition to every pregnant woman and lactating mother for 6 months after child birth and require to comply with the food safety norms. “To facilitate the scheme, the Food Authority has decided to introduce a separate Kind of Business (KoB) ‘Anganwadi (ICDS) Centre under the Food Service for Registration,” reads the order issued by FSSAI. The order added that such registration shall be free of cost. “Additionally, the registration fees for Anganwadi (ICDS) Centre will be waived, and they will be granted the registration certificate for five years,” the order added. This waiver of the registration fee will also be applicable for renewal of three registration certificates by all such Anganwadi Centres and to facilitate the registration, a manual is provided on the FoSCoS website. The waiver of the registration fee for Anganwadi Centres shall come into effect from the date of issuance of the order (March 12, 2025) and there shall be no refund for the existing applications under process. According to the FSSAI, the order will help in maintaining food safety compliance at such centres across the country.

The Union health ministry has banned the import, manufacture, sale and distribution of antibiotic chloramphenicol and nitrofurans class of drugs for use in any food-producing animal rearing system with immediate effect. Read More

In a decisive move to curb the distribution of non-compliant consumer goods, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), has launched a series of search and seizure operations targeting major e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and Flipkart. Conducted in cities like Lucknow, Gurugram, and Delhi, these raids uncovered a large quantity of products lacking mandatory BIS certification, raising serious concerns about consumer safety. Read More

The food authority has issued a draft related to vegan regulations prescribing the certificate to be issued by the recognised authority of the exporting country. Read More

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has directed all States and Union Territories (UTs), to step up surveillance on Dairy Analogues throughout the month of March, keeping in view the ongoing festive season. This proactive measure aims to prevent food adulteration and mislabelling during the period of increased demand. This is in continuation with the ongoing product-specific monthly surveillance drives of FSSAI to tackle food adulteration and ensure compliance with food safety regulations. Read More

In a major step towards achieving 20% ethanol blending (E20) with petrol by 2025-26, the Central Government has notified a new scheme on March 6, 2025, aimed at converting sugarcane-based ethanol plants in Cooperative Sugar Mills into multi-feedstock-based ethanol plants. This move is expected to diversify ethanol production and accelerate the country’s transition to cleaner fuel alternatives. Read More

Bengal’s food processing industry has committed to investing Rs. 181 crores under the Centre’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. If the investment meets all specified conditions, the Centre will provide Rs. 1,200 crores in subsidies over five years to boost the state’s food processing sector. Read More

Scientists have described the investigations performed and control measures taken in relation to a multi-country Salmonella outbreak traced to Ferrero chocolate in 2022. Read More

The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority -APEDA has invited fresh bids for ‘Market Intelligence Cell’. “India’s agriculture sector is a fundamental component of its economy, accounting for 18.2% of the GDP. As the world’s top producer of milk, pulses, and spices, and the second-largest in terms of rice, wheat, cotton, and fresh produce, India holds significant potential to lead in global agricultural exports. However, with an average annual growth rate of 4% over the last five years, India has yet to fully realise its export capabilities. As one of its key measures APEDA is taking a strategic step for a Market Intelligence Cell (MIC). This initiative aims to track market trends, provide actionable insights, and disseminate this among exporters, thereby enhancing India’s agricultural exports and bolstering its presence in the global market,” reads the notice issued by the APEDA. APEDA provides services as market development, quality control, and certification to maintain the standards of the exported products which cover 17 broad categories ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables to processed food.  And the MIC is expected to report on supply side dynamics, demand side dynamics, macro economic indicators, buyer-seller linkages and quick research reports on current topics. The notice added that Experienced Professional Agencies, which were in existence as on April 1, 2019, or earlier and meeting the prescribed criteria of having experience in execution of the similar work and possessing sound financials, may participate in the bid process, wherein pre-bid meeting shall take place on March 17 while duly completed bids shall be accepted up to 12:00 Noon on March 25, 2025, (Tuesday).