The Association of Food Scientists and Technologists India (AFST(I)) recently organised Ayansh – the National Conference on Ayur Aahara Nutraceuticals and Non-Specified Products for Health at Taj Lands End in Mumbai.
The Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India), founded in 1957, is one of the world’s largest professional and educational organisations, with around 3500 members worldwide including food scientists and technologists.
The primary goal of AFST(I) is to stimulate and advance knowledge on various aspects of Food Science and Technology through the organisation of National and International Conferences and bringing out technical publications such as the prestigious Journal of Food Science and Technology (JFST) and Indian Food Industry Mag (IFI Mag).
The event was attended by Stakeholders from various companies like, Johnson & Johnson, Marico, Omni Activ, FSSAI and others sharing an in-depth expertise on the thriving industry of Ayur, Aahaar and Nutraceuticals.
With Dr. N Bhaskar, Advisor, FSSAI as Chief Guest, the event was also graced by Dr. Ravishankar, C.N, Director & Vice – Chancellor, ICAR – CIF and Pritee Chaudhary, IRS, Regional Director, FSSAI WR as Guest of Honour.
Chaudhary said, “FSSAI, as the principal food regulatory authority is creating a framework of standards to enable safe innovation in the emerging sectors of Ayur Aahara and nutraceuticals with the aim of making Ayur Aahara a globally recognisable name. FSSAI, encourages the stakeholders to apply the concept of RESET (Regulatory requirements – Evidences – Safety – Emerging Risk – Transformation) and contribute to the establishment of an evidence-based system to validate product safety parameters, that allows framing a holistic and continually relevant regulations,” said Dr. N Bhaskar.
An insightful occasion
This was followed by a plenary session: CEO Conclave on “Lead Talk.” The seminar, as the name implies, was about leaders addressing concerns and discussing the 5 W’s of the Food Industry. Dr. Monica Puniya, Dy. Director, FSSAI, and Dr. P Karthikeyan, Joint Director, FSSAI, gave insights on themes such as Non-Specific Food Products, Labelling and Claims. The leaders shared their experiences with the audience and simplified the regulatory restrictions.
Subhaprada Nishtala, President, AFSTI Mumbai Chapter, said, “it gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction to help create a platform that will help nurture the enablement of industries involved in the sectors of Nutraceutical, Ayur Aahara and health products through “Ayansh”.
The event also included three informative and technical sessions, each with a panel discussion with industry professionals, a moderator, and a rapporteur. The first one, Regulatory Conversation, was a discussion between the FSSAI Directors and Chairman, expertly conducted by Dr Prabodh Halde. The second session addressed the pressing issue of supply chain and sustainability. Directors from Nutraworks, Manas Ayurveda, and others spoke on the panel on the current situation and the way forward. Nilesh Lele, Vice President AFST(I), Mumbai, moderated this session.
The third and final session, moderated by Umesh Kamble Vice President, AFST Mumbai Chapter was on Quality & Standards with various stakeholders including Samyog Health Foods, Envirocare Labs, EIA Mumbai and others.
The panel discussion’s industry professionals presented useful insights and comments on the different difficulties confronting both the consumer and the manufacturer.
The panel talks piqued the audience’s interest, prompting them to interact with regulators, industry, and academia to get answers to their questions. The AyANSH stakeholder dialogue has prepared the ground for an exciting journey for the Ayur, Aahar, and Ayurceuticals segments of the sector. The stakeholders appreciated and encouraged the organisers to have more such events in the future.
