World Food Day celebrated at NIFTEM, anthem launched
The National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM-K) on Wednesday celebrated World Food Day 2024 with a programme, marked by the launch of its anthem, “Annadata Ka Anna, NIFTM Se Bahut Prasanna, Hum Hain NIFTEM”.
The event was graced by chief guest G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and other distinguished guests from academia, industry and government.
Addressing the gathering Rao highlighted the growing challenges of food safety and food security in India. He noted the increasing use of preservatives in food products, which made it difficult for farmers to determine the right preservatives to use.
Last year alone, FSSAI cancelled 300 food products that failed to meet the necessary standards.
The anthem was launched by Minhaj Alam, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), who emphasised the importance of collaboration between NIFTEM and the ministry.
“Aligned with MoFPI’s vision to enhance value addition, reduce wastage and promote sustainable growth and modernisation, this partnership will create impactful solutions that will benefit the Indian food industry at large,” he added.
Dr Harinder Singh Oberoi, Director, lauded the institute’s role as a research hub for FSSAI and highlighted its cutting-edge infrastructure, which ranked among the best in the country. He further shared that NIFTEM-K had recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with 19 major companies at World Food India 2024, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
These strategic collaborations aimed at advancing research, foster innovation, and enhance skill development in the Indian food processing industry, he added.
