KOCHI: Seafood exporters should adhere to the prescribed quality parameters for international trade, National Seafood Exporters Association president Jagdish Fofandi has said. Inaugurating the national technical workshop on Indian Perspective on Food Safety, organised by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) in Kochi, he said safeguarding food quality is a shared responsibility in providing clean and healthy food to consumers.
India is the fourth largest seafood exporter globally and holds the distinction of being the leading exporter of shrimp to the US market. However, it is imperative to ensure that stringent food standards are met for international markets and consistently delivered to the domestic market, he said.
The two-day workshop will deliberate on the Indian perspective of food safety, under the three major sub-themes of food preservation, fortification and value addition. There will be a plenary session by industry leaders and a technical session from industry sponsors as part of the workshop. Around 400 scientists, academicians, policymakers and students from India and abroad are participating in the workshop.
“Being a responsible stakeholder in the food safety research and regulation sector, the CIFT has decided to reach out to more students, academics, regulators, food safety solution providers, and citizens,” said CIFT director George Ninan.