Jan 29, 2018

Seafood industry wants common certification to replace

Seafood industry stakeholders today voiced the need for a common standard certification to reduce the cost of acquiring multiple ones which is the current requirement.They were speaking during the technical session of the 21stedition of the biennial India International Seafood Show, organized by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and the Seafood Export Association of India (SEAI)."Certificationensures quality, credibility and brand awareness, which in turn can bring several positive outcomes such as improved client relationship and rise in prices for the company," said Chandrajith, Director, Wimpey Laboratories, Kuwait, during the session.He listed various certifications required like Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), a standard approach to food safety from biological, chemical, and physical hazards, the ISO 9001: 2015, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and others.Chandrajith added that certifications such as ISO 9001: 2008, which were no longer valid, needed to be removed from the products and related materials.Yoshiyuki Shige, Senior Executive and Managing Director, Japan Fisheries Association, spoke about the importance of eco-labelling in a separate session."Marine eco-labels are marks attached to fishery products to indicate that they have been caught by a method that gives consideration to the sustainability of the ecosystem and resources.
This is done with an aim to promote customer understanding of resource management," he explained.Shige further noted that the purpose of the label was to support conservation efforts of fish producers by promoting their products."Their efforts are essential to ensure sustainable fisheries into the future," he said.The three day long event was inaugurated yesterday by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and has delegates from several countries participating.

Foodgrammers go live at street food festival in Delhi

Spicy affair: Visitors dig into street food from Rajasthan at the fest 
With food stalls lined up on one side of the JLN Stadium and organic food items on the other side, Delhiites were spoiled for choice at a three-day food festival organised by the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI). From Haridwar, Jaipur and Jodhpur to different cities of UP - the vendors had brought the best for the street food lovers from across the country. The highlight of the festival was the 'prasad' stalls from temples that made a debut at the festival. Also, this year, NASVI collaborated with FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) to ensure proper hygiene.



From jalebis to khatta, meetha gola - the fest was a treat for everyone
Traditional dishes from all over the country
The stalls offered traditional delicacies of places like Amritsar, Udaipur, and Lucknow. Zareen Ahmad, a visitor, said, "I took so many rounds and still couldn't decide what to eat. I really loved a few dishes like kachauri and different sweet dishes."
Mrinal Sharma, a college student, told us, "I tried my best not to miss any item. It was a huge dilemma to decide whether I should try a new dish or just relish all my favourite cuisines."

Foodgrammer at work: Many customers also went live with stall owners on Insta and FB 
Prasad makes a debut at the fest
The visitors who didn't know about prasad arrangements were quite amazed to see the stalls. Prasad from temples like ISKON Delhi, Swaminarayan Mandir, Sri Meenakshi Temple, Madurai and more, were also available at the fest. Pawan Singh, a visitor, told us, "I was surprised to find 'Somnath Temple ke pede' at the food festival. In fact, I visited the festival on two days just to have the prasad."
Talking about the response, the vendors and organisers said that like every year, even this time they got a good response. Also, the social media-savvy visitors didn't miss any chance to click pictures and make videos at the stalls. RP Bajpayee, a street food vendor from UP, told us, "Our delivery service got delayed because too many customers wanted to go live with us on Facebook and Instagram. They kept requesting us to arrange their platter in a certain way. It was fun."

A stall from Haridwar at the event

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