Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Harsimrat Kaur Badal today announced that the FSSAI have approved more than 8000 new additives harmonized with international codex standards which would provide considerable relief to the industry.While thanking the prime minister and finance minister for approving and announcing the policy of 100% FDI in marketing of food products produced and manufactured in India in the general budget Mrs Badal informed that she had taken up the difficulties faced by the industry with FSSAI to ease the difficulties faced by the industry. In pursuant to this the FSSAI have notified an amendment to the regulations as a result of which non-standardized food products called proprietary foods {except novel food and nutraceuticals} that use ingredients and additives approved in the regulations would no longer require product approval.
Interacting with the media to apprise them about the initiatives relating to food processing in the budget, Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal said this step would lead to creation of ‘’Swadeshi” infrastructure with ‘’Videshi’’ money. "This will help farmers get remunerative prices for their produce, transfer of technology and modern agricultural practices required for producing agricultural produce on a large scale to meet the requirements of organized marketing," she added.In the presence of Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Mrs Badal said a unified agriculture marketing e-platform was also announced to setup which will bring markets to the doorstep of farmers and result in big buyers reaching out to farmers for their agri-horti produce.She said that 100% FDI will bring in higher efficiencies in food processing industry and trade, and will make our food products more competitive in international markets. With a view to promote use of refrigerated containers in the supply chain she also thanked the FM, to reduce basic custom duty and excise duty from 10% to 5% and from 12.5% to 6%, respectively.