National and International Food Organizations

National and International Food Organizations

There are different organizations that take part in food handling, processing, and marketing of food products. These are mainly concerned with the food and agro sector. They act as helping hand for many farming communities, organizations, food business operators, exporter, etc. These organizations are majorly classified as national and international organizations.

   Here, I am trying to cover some organizations with their basic details. As some of the organizations are very big in nature, a structure like FSSAI, MFPI. Hence not going into more details of such organizations.

It mainly involves the name of the organization, year of establishment, aim, functions, and specific role to perform. The following justification might be helpful to you for the preparation of agro and food competitive.

International Organizations: The various international organizations are as follows:

1. FAO: Food and Agricultural Organization: It was established in the year of October 1945. Its main aim is to raise the levels of nutrition and standard of living to improve agricultural productivity for the welfare of rural populations.

Functions and Role:

·         Collect, interpret and spread information relating to nutrition.

·         It serves as an international forum for discussing food and agricultural issues.

·         Promote and recommend action plans both national and international related to –

1. Scientific, technological, social and economic research related to nutrition, food and agriculture.

2. Education to conservation of natural resources.

3. Adaption of policies to provide adequate agricultural credit.

2. WHO: World Health Organization (WHO) is the body of the United Nations (UN) responsible for directing and coordinating health. The headquarter is in Geneva and came into function on 7th April 1948, which is celebrated as “World Health Day”. The main aim of WHO is the attainment of the most optimum level of health of people which would enable them to lead a socially, economically, and mentally productive life.

Functions:

1. Provided technical and other support to countries for preventing and managing nutritional problems.

2. Involved in the nutrition programmes by promoting general awareness and supporting the application of improved methods of prevention, detection, and control of diseases.

3. Collaborating with the Indian government in programs of medical research in epidemics like cholera, typhoid, occupational hazards, medical technology, and pathology.

 

3. UNICEF: United Nations Children's International Emergency Fund:

It is a subsidiary organization of the United Nations that was established after World War II in December 1946. The main aim of the organization is to provide proper health care and food to children and women of the world.
Following are some of the functions of UNICEF:

1. Gender equality through education for girls.

2. Involved in direct distribution of food and provide an opportunity for nutrition education of mothers.

3. Immunization of infants from different diseases.

4. Provision of adequate nutrition and safe drinking water to children.

 

National Organizations: The various national organizations include-

1. NIN: National Institute of Nutrition: It is located at Hyderabad and is started in 1918. This institute formerly at Coonoor for several years was shifted to Hyderabad in 1959. It is one of the permanent research institutes of ICMR which is under the ministry of health and family welfare.

Objectives and Role:

1. To identify various dietary and nutrition problems in different segments of population and monitor the diet and nutrition situation in the country.

2. To evaluate suitable methods of prevention and control of nutritional problems.

3. To advise the government and other organizations on problems of nutrition.

 

2. CFTRI: Central Food Technological Research Institute: It is located at Mysore and started in 21st Oct 1950. The goal set by CFTRI is to get advance knowledge and to apply in the area of Food Science and Food Technology for the society.

Functions

1. Preparation of industry feasible project reports for processes and products.

2. Identification of post-harvest problems.

3. Assistance in process control, quality assurance, packing, and product diversification.

4. Project engineering and design, project identification, and evaluation.

 

3. DFRL: Defense Food Research Laboratory, Mysore came into being on 28 December 1961. This institute conducts research work on problems relating to the food requirement of the defense forces

The main Functions of DFRL as follows.

1. Studies in the development of convenience foods, preservation of foods, food packaging.

2. Production and supply of processed foods on a limited scale to the Armed Forces and other bodies for national missions.

3. Preservation and packaging methods for long-distance transportation of perishable products.

4. Evaluation of nutritional requirements of troops deployed under different climatic conditions.

 

4. MFPI: Ministry of Food Processing Industries. It is established in the year 1988. Its head office is located at New Delhi.

Main Objectives of MFPI are - Better utilization and value-addition of agricultural produce and Encouraging R and D in food processing for product and process development.

Functions:

1. Policy support and developmental: Formulation and implementation of policies for food processing industries within overall national priorities and objectives

2. Promotional and technical: Assistance for the organization of workshops, seminars, exhibitions and fairs etc.

3. Advisory and regulatory: Implementation of Fruit Products Order (FPO).

4. Products Offered: Fruits and vegetable processing industry, food grain milling industry, dairy products, processing of poultry and eggs, meat and meat products, fish processing, breakfast foods, biscuits,  Alcoholic drinks from the non-molasses base, processed foods.

 

5. APEDA: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was established under the APEDA Act passed by the Parliament in December 1985 and came into effect from 13th February 1986. APEDA has marked its presence in almost all agro potential states of India.

Functions

1. Development of industries relating to the scheduled products for export

2. Providing financial assistance, other reliefs, and subsidy schemes to the potential farmers.

3. Registration of persons as exporters of the scheduled products on payment of such fees as may be prescribed.

4. Training in various aspects of the industries connected with the scheduled products.

 

6. FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established in 2008 and still is in the process of developing a regulatory framework for the food sector

Objectives:

a. The transition from PFA and other orders to FSS Act.

b. Strengthening food safety regulation in the States.

c. Strengthening of Food testing laboratory facilities.

d. Review of existing food standards and developing new standards.

e. Training and capacity building for regulatory staff.

Functions lay down under the Act:

1. Framing of Regulations, Standards, and guidelines in relation to articles of food.

2. Guidelines for accreditation of certification bodies / Laboratories.

3. Scientific advice and technical support to Central and State Governments in matters of framing the policy and rules in areas related to food safety.

4. Procedure and guidelines for Risk Analysis methodologies.

5. Promote general awareness about food safety and food standards.

 

7. ICAR: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India is an autonomous organization under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

Objectives

a. Strengthening research in identified areas of quality seed production.

b. Assessment, evaluation and conservation of plant, fish, microbes, and animal genetic resources.

c. Post-harvest management / farm mechanization and value addition.

Functions

1. To plan, coordinate and monitor research for enhancing the production and productivity of the agriculture sector.

2. To provide technological backstopping to various lines departments.

3. To develop Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP) in developing seeds, planting materials, value-added products, agricultural machinery, etc.

4. Human resource development and capacity building.

 

8. ICMR: Indian Council of Medical Research was established in the year 1949, with a considerably expanded scope of functions. The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Functions:

1. The ICMR emphasize a time-bound, goal-oriented approach with clearly defined targets, specific time frames, standardized and uniform methodologies.

2. For retired medical scientists and teachers, the Council offers the position of Emeritus Scientists to enable them to continue research on specific biomedical topics.

3. The Council's research priorities include the control and management of communicable diseases, maternal and child health, developing strategies for health care delivery.

4. Research on major non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, blindness, and diabetes.

 

9. NDDB: The National Dairy Development Board is an institution of national importance set up in 1965 by an Act of Parliament of India. The main office is located in Anand, Gujarat with regional offices throughout the country.

Functions:

1. Operation Flood, which lasted for 26 years from 1970 to 1996 and was responsible for making India the world's largest producer of milk.

2. This operation was started with the objective of increasing milk production, augmenting farmer income and providing fair prices for consumers.

3. NDDB has now integrated 96,000 dairy co-operatives in what it calls the ‘Anand Pattern’, linking the village society to the state federations in a three-tier structure.

4. NDDB launched its Perspective Plan 2010 with four thrust areas: Quality Assurance, Productivity Enhancement, Institution Building, and National Information Network.

 

10. AGMARK: AGMARK is a certification mark employed on agricultural products in India, assuring that they conform to a set of standards approved by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI). The AGMARK is legally enforced in India by the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act of 1937 (and amended in 1986). The present AGMARK standards cover quality guidelines for more than 205 different commodities spanning a variety of Pulses, Cereals, Essential Oils, Vegetable Oils, Fruits and Vegetables, etc.

The main functions of the Central Agmark Laboratory are:

1. To work as an apex laboratory for the challenged samples under the APMC Act 1937.

2. To standardize methods of analysis of agricultural and allied commodities.

3. To create awareness with regard to grading, standardization and quality of various agricultural and food products.

 

11. FCI: Food Corporation of India was set up on 14 January 1965 and has headquarters at Chennai under the Food Corporations Act 1964 to implement the following operations of the National Food Policy:

1. Procurement: Procurement of Foodgrains has the broad objectives of ensuring MSP to the farmers and also ensuring the availability of food grains to the weaker sections at affordable prices.

2. Quality Control: FCI, as the country's nodal organization for implementing the National Food Policy provides customer-focused service quality.

3. Warehouse: It provides scientific storage for the millions of tonnes of food grains procured by it.

4. Buffer Stock: The buffer stocks are required to ensure food security during the periods when production is short of normal demand, during bad agricultural years and to stabilize prices.

 

12. QCI: The Quality Council of India (QCI) was set up in 1997, is a pioneering experiment of the Government of India in setting up organizations in partnership with the Indian industry. Indian industry represented by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) & Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM). QCI is the accreditation authority in India.

The main objectives of QCI are as follows.

1. To develop, establish & operate National Accreditation programs in accordance with the relevant international standards.

2. To monitor and administer the National Quality Campaign.

3. To promote quality competitiveness of India's enterprises especially MSMEs through the adoption of and adherence to quality management standards and quality tools.

 

SUMMARY:

Table: National and International organizations related to Food

No.	Organization	Est. Year	Head-office	Main Aim
1	FAO	1945	Rome	To raise levels of nutrition.
2	WHO	1948	Geneva	To attain the optimum level of health of people.
3	UNICEF	1946	New York	Provide proper health care and food to children.
4	NIN	1918	Hyderabad	Monitor the diet and nutrition situation.
5	ICAR	1929	New Delhi	Strengthening research and development in agriculture.
6	ICMR	1949	New Delhi	To reduce the total burden of disease and to promote health
7	MFPI	1988	New Delhi	Better utilization and value-addition of agri. produce
8	APEDA	1986	New Delhi	Development of scheduled products for export.
9	CFTRI	1950	Mysore	Use advance knowledge in the area of Food Science and Technology.
10	NDDB	1965	Anand	Increase the production of milk.
11	FSSAI	2008	New Delhi	Strengthening food safety regulation.
12	AGMARK	1937	Faridabad*	Provide a certification mark for agricultural products.
13	DFRL	1961	Mysore	Work on problems relating to the food requirement of the defense forces.
14	FCI	1965	Chennai	Distribution of food grains throughout the country for Public Distribution System.
15	QCI	1997	New Delhi	To establish and operate a national accreditation structure.

(*: Directorate has its Head Office at Faridabad and Branch Office at Nagpur).