The Hindu Business Line : EC food mission finds Indian groundnuts safe

A European Commission-Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) Mission has found the new Agricultural and Processed Food Products' Export Development Authority (APEDA) systems satisfactory.

It has also not found anything negative to report about the peanut industry (for human consumption), said Mr Sanjiv Sawla, Chairman of Indian Oilseeds & Produce Exporters Association (IOPEA).

The FVO Mission visited India during November 6-18 to study the overall system prevailing here for groundnut exports to EU countries.

The mission headed by Mr Rafael Berbejal included two more members, Mr Niall Gerlitz and Mr Pedro Burdaspal Perez.

"A follow-up mission may not be needed if the industry disciplines itself in the days to come. They did, however, hint that the next target is the bird food industry, since there is always a chance of a product shipped for bird food entering the human food chain," Mr Sawla said.

The team had also suggested that all units should move towards a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point- (HACCP) system. The mission assessed the control systems that are in place in India to prevent aflatoxin-contamination in peanuts intended for export to European Union countries.

The mission visited groundnut-processing units in Gujarat (the groundnut bowl of India), laboratories carrying out the sampling analysis of groundnut export consignments to the EU countries, the Groundnut Research Institute and groundnut farms.

The team also met customs/ government officials at Nhava Sheva & Mundra and port facilities. APEDA, IOPEA and the agencies concerned had jointly co-ordinate the mission's visit.

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