AFSI Newsletter - January 2022
Webinar on Microbial Biotechnology for Novel Food and Food Ingredients
India has seen significant growth in its food processing industry in recent years. Food ingredients are an essential part of the global food supply and international trade, and microbial fermentation is used to make purified flavors, vitamins, amino acids, and other compounds for the food industry. Microbial biotechnology, including techniques other than genetic engineering, is one technology used to produce products of microbial fermentation. In the food industry, it is used to produce a range of foods, beverages, and their ingredients. On January 11, 2022, AFSI and Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL) will be co-organizing a webinar to convene scientists and policymakers from academia, industry, and government to discuss regulatory policies and science communication around low-risk, well-characterized food ingredients that have been derived from genetically modified microbes, algae, and fermented products, with a particular focus on India.
Emerging Trends in India’s Food Processing Industry
Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan, Director of the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), will start the program by discussing the opportunities the food processing and food ingredient industry provide for India’s bioeconomy. A significant amount of perishable produce is wasted annually, and growth of the value-added food industry could help reduce this loss. One component of developing value-added food are the ingredients needed for increased growth.
Science of Microbial Biotechnology
Dr. Paul Hanlon, Director - Regulatory, Scientific & Government Affairs at Abbott Nutrition, will introduce the science behind how microbes are used to develop food ingredients and how genetic modified microorganisms have become widespread in the production of food ingredients and processing aids. He will also provide a brief overview of countries that consider the products of microbial biotechnology as purified compounds used in food, resulting in them simply going through the relevant food safety authority.
Regulatory Requirements for Food Ingredients and Processing Aids, Including Those Derived from Microbial Biotechnology
Dr. Lalitha Gowda, Former Chief Scientist at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), will focus on the regulatory environment in India, where the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India oversees regulation of food and food ingredients and enforces food regulations. Her talk will cover the current pathway for approval of food ingredients in India generally, after which she will discuss how products of microbial biotechnology have been regulated in India.
Navigating the Regulatory System in India: Challenges and Experiences
Presenting a real-world example as a lead up to the concluding panel discussion, the final presentation will be delivered by Dr. Jasvir Singh, Lead - Regulatory, Scientific & Government Affairs of International Flavors and Fragrances. In this talk, Dr. Singh will recount his firsthand experience as part of an Indian company that has successfully gone through the regulatory process to get a product containing ingredients derived from microbial biotechnology to market.