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Nestlé India has announced the launch of new CEREGROW with no refined sugar, reinforcing its commitment to offering nutritious choices to its consumers through meaningful innovations. Designed for toddlers aged 2 to 6 years, CEREGROW multigrain cereal with the goodness of wheat, rice, oats, milk, and fruits. Read More

Global beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have launched no-sugar and light variants priced at Rs.10, aiming to counter Reliance Consumer’s Campa Cola and tap into India’s growing demand for healthier drink options. Read More

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the ₹350 crore expansion of Coca-Cola’s bottling partner, SLMG Beverages, in Ayodhya, significantly boosting the region’s industrial growth and employment landscape. The expansion, undertaken by Amrit Bottlers Private Limited (a subsidiary of SLMG Beverages), will double the plant’s production capacity from 1,894 to 3,724 bottles per minute. This increase will cater to the rising demand for popular Coca-Cola beverages such as Thums Up, Sprite, Maaza, and Minute Maid. The facility’s growth is set to create 900 new jobs, raising the total workforce to 2,500. Additionally, indirect employment opportunities are expected in logistics, retail, and allied sectors. The expansion aligns with SLMG Beverages’ broader investment plan to infuse up to $1 billion in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar by 2030. In line with its sustainability focus, the Ayodhya plant currently operates with a 15 MW DC solar power plant and 9.6 MW of wind energy, with plans to expand renewable energy adoption further. “The expansion of our Ayodhya plant underscores our dedication to India’s economic growth and sustainable beverage production,” said Rakesh Ladhani, Director of Amrit Bottlers and SLMG Beverages. “Enhanced capacity and job creation are strengthening our operational efficiency while contributing to the local economy.” This development positions Ayodhya as a rising industrial hub, complementing its significance as a religious tourism center and a key driver of Uttar Pradesh’s economic growth.

100 new food testing labs to be established with financial support from Ministry of Food Processing Industries, announces Ravneet Singh Bittu. In a bid to enhance food safety and quality, the Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, announced that the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI), will financially support the establishment of 100 new NABL-accredited food testing laboratories across India in the financial year 2025-26. Read More

The Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has announced a significant revision in the investment and turnover limits for classifying enterprises under the MSME category with effect from April 1, 2025. Read More

The Government of India has withdrawn 20% duty on onion export, effective from 1 April 2025. A notification to this effect was issued by the Department of Revenue today on the communication of Department of Consumer Affairs. Read More

The food authority has issued a clarification with respect to testing of ‘in-shell’ nuts such as almonds by notified food testing laboratories. The FSSAI in an order has stated that labs are required to test only for the standards set for in-shell nuts and no other parameters. Read More

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