Food Processing Ministry to Collaborate with International Labs: Harsimrat Kaur Badal

Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal has said that the Ministry will collaborate with multiple international laboratories testing various food products so that the food products approved by laboratories at National Institute of Food Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) get worldwide acceptability.

She was speaking to the media at the inauguration ceremony of an incubation centre and Food Testing Laboratory at NIFTEM in Sonipat, Haryana.

Badal, inaugurated four incubation centres at the institute, which include pilot plants for ready-to-eat and traditional foods, milk and dairy products, fruits and vegetables processing and meat & poultry processing at Sonipat, Haryana.

A modern food testing lab has also been established at the NIFTEM premises.

“Our vision is to make NIFTEM an Ivy League institute in the food processing sector that can collaborate with various international partners in the food processing space and emerge as an international centre of excellence,” Badal said.

Speaking on the importance of the institute the Minister expressed hope that farmer from nearby areas are able to learn processing and packaging at the institute.

She also said that students from NIFTEM do not just learn theory but because of the industry partnerships, learn what the industry wants.

At the ceremony, Secretary of Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Jagdish Prasad Meena said that the incubation centre will incubate entrepreneurs of tomorrow and will benefit the local farming community directly.

The lab is in the process of getting NABL accreditation and will serve as the National Reference Facility in the future. It will work with FSSAI and other agencies to develop testing standard protocols for food products certify food products and undertake research.