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New Delhi: India’s agri and food exports are increasingly attracting global attention and facing rejection and limitation in certain countries over food safety and quality issues. Many Indian products have been scrutinized for falling below international standards, ranging from spices and rice to mangoes and cereals. The problem has come to light with serious concern to the exporters, especially considering India’s role as one of the world’s leading suppliers of agricultural produce. Greater quality surveillance and better adherence to global laws and regulations will be vital to keep India’s place in global markets, experts believe.
European Union Flags Hundreds of Indian Products
European Union (EU) has indicated that it is alarmed by almost 370 Indian agricultural products, mainly spices, herbs, fruits and cereals. It was mainly their pesticide residues and high level of residual heavy metal that prompted flagging of the products, given the maximum permitted levels by EU food safety legislation. European standards are very strict with regard to consumer health, and good products may be refused, recalled, or even further checked in future imports.
Japan Stops Indian Mango Imports
Japan has totally embargoed all Indian Mango varieties, including the popular varieties like Alphonso and Kesar. The decision comes as Indian exporters were not following agreed procedures on pest control and heat treatment that are needed to export fruit, reports said. Japan has also expressed some concerns regarding some rice imports that did not comply with the quality control conditions of Japan. The country has very strict import requirements to prevent the entry of pests and diseases into the nation’s agricultural system.
United States Rejects Food Shipments
In recent years, the United States has also rejected a few shipments of Indian food. Some of the reasons are that pesticide residues are found above mentioned US safety limits, failure to comply with the required pest control procedures and not enough documentation. Thousands of processed and agricultural food products have reportedly been rejected for non-compliance with America’s import regulations, other than mangoes.
China Blocks Rice and Chili Consignments
China is reacting to a contamination by some Indian rice deliveries containing approved GM rice that was not registered by the government in India under legislation. Some consignments of Indian chilli products have also been turned down by Chinese authorities due to non-compliance matters. The food safety and importation regulations of each country may be different, and exporters should make sure products comply with various importation regulations prior to shipment.
Spice Exports Face Trouble in Singapore and Hong Kong
Indian spice exports are also facing difficulties in Singapore and Hong Kong. In both areas, the sale of some spice products from popular Indian spice brands like MDH and Everest was temporarily banned after high concentration of ethylene oxide, deemed it to be a pesticide and toxic chemical if its level exceeds the tolerance value, was detected in them. The incident resulted in the recall of products and in augmented testing of Indian spice shipments.
A Need for Stronger Quality Standards
Rice, spices, tea, fruits, vegetables, and processed food products are important export commodities of India, which continues to make a significant contribution to world trade in these commodities. But keeping up to standard quality has increased in significance now that importing countries have made their food safety regulations stricter, experts say. Farming practices, rate of pesticide use, laboratory testing, and shipping documentation before departure have the potential to reduce the number of shipments being rejected. There will also be improvement in the coordination of the farmers, exporters, food processors, and government authorities.
Most of them are not a significant portion of India’s total agricultural exports, but if rejections due to quality problems occur time and time again, a potential problem may lie in India’s reputation in the international export markets. To maintain consistency of the country’s exports to meet international standards of safety, industry experts believe it will be necessary to open up new international markets.
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