The Commerce Ministry is planning to develop food-testing infrastructure to reinforce exports, a senior authorities official mentioned on Wednesday. The Export Inspection Council (EIC), below the ministry, has initiated an in depth hole evaluation examine on meals testing infrastructure for exports.
“Though now we have undertaken a number of measures, we’re conducting a deeper evaluation, each commodity-wise and region-wise. We’re figuring out gaps in our food-testing infrastructure. We count on the examine to be accomplished inside 2–3 months, after which we’ll develop a complete plan to develop the infrastructure in a extra holistic method,” Nitin Kumar Yadav, joint secretary within the Division of Commerce, instructed reporters.
The EIC can be set to launch an built-in traceability module to streamline and handle processes concerned in inspection, testing, and certification for exports. Yadav added that the council is adopting superior applied sciences comparable to IoT-based sampling strategies. New laboratories are being established in Ahmedabad, Faridabad, and Mangalore, he mentioned.
The EIC can be coming into into mutual-recognition agreements (MRAs) and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with varied nations for various merchandise, aiming for world recognition of its mechanisms and processes.
FTA talks on with UK, EU
This initiative comes as India is negotiating free-trade agreements (FTAs) with the UK and the EU, thereby searching for to enhance home requirements. The export of meals gadgets additionally holds important potential in markets such because the UAE, which signed an FTA with India in 2022.
“We’re striving to ascertain MRAs for India. We’re additionally learning the necessities of different nations and constructing capacities to facilitate these agreements,” Yadav said.
The EIC has considerably elevated testing services throughout the nation, with the variety of accredited laboratories rising to 78 and the variety of export institutions authorized by way of the EIC system growing from 794 to 1,446 over the previous decade, in response to the ministry.
“Export certificates accepted by importing nations have almost doubled in a decade, growing from 61,000 to over 120,000. The laboratory ecosystem has expanded from 21 recognised labs in 2013–14, accredited to ISO 17025 requirements, to 78 labs in 2024–25, making certain well timed testing and facilitating exports,” the ministry said.
EIC certification recognised by main world regulators
Notably, the EIC’s certification system is recognised by main worldwide regulatory our bodies, together with these of the European Union, the US, Australia, Turkey, Korea, and Japan, amongst others. Lively participation in organisations comparable to Codex Alimentarius, ISO, and the WTO has enabled the EIC to advance science-based requirements, cut back commerce boundaries, and promote seamless worldwide commerce, the ministry added.
The EIC can be set to launch a user-friendly on-line portal integrating traceability modules, a Laboratory Info Administration System (LIMS), and E-Well being options. This portal will streamline and handle end-to-end processes concerned in inspection, testing, and certification for exports. Superior applied sciences, comparable to IoT-based sampling strategies, are being adopted, and geographical expansions to places comparable to Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, are underway.
New laboratories are being established in Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Faridabad (Haryana), and Mangalore (Karnataka), whereas the EIC continues to function from its headquarters in New Delhi. It maintains a strong operational community of Export Inspection Businesses (EIAs) positioned in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Kochi, supported by 24 sub-offices at main ports and export hubs.
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