The food processing ministry will target on research and development (R&D) of the products and procedure development, efficacious technologies, and value additions, declared Rameswar Teli, Minister of State, Food Processing Industries in a press release. The ministry has spent about Rs 100 crore for the R&D in the 2020-21 fiscal year.
Higher levels of food processing will help to alleviate wastage, ameliorate value addition, promote crop diversification, promise better return on investment for farmers, and amplify employment along with reinforced export earnings, stated Teli.
The minister further said that he was sure that this R&D plan will be advantageous not only to the product and process development but will also help in the improvising the packaging value chain by value addition in the food processing industry. There are a number of opportunities in the food processing segment for progress in employment and export potential
“The mission is the commercialisation of the food processing industry,” Teli told while addressing the digital inaugural session of processed food expo hosted by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in collaboration with industry body, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
“The ministry spends about Rs 100 crore for R&D and numerous more are in the plan of action. We will carry on focusing, especially now, on waste to wealth technologies, also packaging solutions that are extra biodegradable or can be plastic alternatives,” affirmed Pushpa Subrahmanyam, secretary, Ministry of Food Processing.
She informed that the sector feels this as a huge challenge, and we would strive to give resources to finance these types of sustainable solutions to the industry. “The ministry has been assisting small creative projects for evolving new products and processes, packaging, testing tools and more economical technology for the leading Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) industry in this sector.
The ministry of food processing portal on the Food R&D projects 2021 was also unveiled at this event. This portal showcases the results of the R&D works of several institutes engaged in food processing and value addition in our nation. The portal has provisions to explore technological solutions in the form of food product, process and technology and food processing machinery and will also function as the repository of innovations and technical solutions.