PROCESSED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
It has been estimated
on the basis of units registered under Fruits Products Order,
1955, that the percentage of fruits and vegetables processed in
the country is under 2% of the market arrivals.
For promotion of
food processing industries, Government has taken up the task of
strengthening infrastructure, providing assistance for technology
upgradation, modernisation/expansion of existing units, providing
support for Backward and Forward Linkages and through assistance
for training human resources.
A Group of Ministers
(GOM) has been constituted by the Government to propose legislative
and other changes for preparing a Modern Integrated Food Law and
related regulations. It is proposed to converge and modernize
the existing laws and to bring about a single statute for regulation
of food products that would allow for speedy decision-making.
This law is expected to take into account the international scenario
and the modern development so as to create an enabling environment
and promote self-compliance by the food processing industries.
Biotechnological
methods are used for production of raw as well as processed food
products. As far as Food Processing Industry is concerned, some
of the biotechnological methods such as fermentation method are
presently used by industry for the manufacture of various processed
food products.
This information
was given in Lok Sabha today by Shri N.T. Shanmugam, Minister
of State for Food Processing Industries in a written reply.
