The Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Shri Chirag Paswan, today chaired the second meeting of the Committee constituted to counter misleading publicity related to processed foods, held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. The meeting was attended by committee members, senior officials, industry leaders and representatives of industry associations.

 

Addressing the participants, the Union Minister highlighted that food processing is critical for food safety, nutrition, reduction of wastage and enhancement of farmers’ incomes, and stressed that myths and misinformation surrounding processed foods must be actively addressed through science-based communication, transparency and responsible engagement. He underlined the importance of leveraging counter social media influencers, digital platforms and other mass communication channels, along with collective stakeholder responsibility, to build a balanced public narrative and ensure that correct and credible information on food processing reaches every citizen.

 

The Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Shri Avinash Joshi, briefly outlined the actions taken since the previous meeting, including stakeholder consultations, expert review and nationwide outreach of approved FAQs, and reiterated the need for coordinated stakeholder efforts to strengthen informed public discourse.

The meeting was attended by senior officers of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, including the Special Secretary, Joint Secretaries and other senior officials of the Ministry, along with heads and senior representatives from key regulatory and technical institutions such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management. Shri Ranjit Punhani, Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI, was also present. The deliberations were further enriched by participation from leading industry associations including FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, AIFPA, AFSTI and FSNM, as well as senior executives from major food processing companies, reflecting a whole-of-government and whole-of-industry approach to counter misleading publicity on processed foods.

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CMC-MoFPI

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