INDIAN FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY
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The food processing industry provides vital linkages and synergies between
industry and agriculture. The Food Processing Industry sector in India is one of
the largest in terms of production, consumption, export and growth prospects.
The government has accorded it a high priority, with a number of fiscal reliefs
and incentives, to encourage commercialization and value addition to agricultural
produce, for minimizing pre/post harvest wastage, generating employment and
export growth. India's food processing sector covers a wide range of products
fruit and vegetables; meat and poultry; milk and milk products, alcoholic
beverages, fisheries, plantation, grain processing and other consumer product
groups like confectionery, chocolates and cocoa products, Soya-based products,
mineral water, high protein foods and so on.




Essential Commodities Act, 1955: A number of quality control orders have been
issued under Essential Commodities Act such as FPO, MMPO, Meat Product
Order and Vegetable Oils Control Order. These orders are primarily meant for
regulating the hygienic conditions. To be more specific following are orders for
the food safety and quality.
· Fruit Products Order (FPO), 1955 - it provides for regulation of sanitary
and hygienic conditions in manufacture of fruit and vegetable products. It
aims to ensure that hygienic and good quality products are manufactured
and sold. It is implemented by the Ministry through the Directorate of Fruit
and Vegetable Preservation.
· Meat Food Products Order (MFPO), 1973 – This order aims to ensure
supply of wholesome meat food products to the consumers. It deals with
quality control of meat food products from processing to finished product
by way of ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection of meat animals so as
to ensure hygienic conditions of processing of meat food products.
· Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992 - The objective of this order is to
maintain and increase the supply of liquid milk of desired quality in the
interest of the general public and also for regulating the production,
processing and distribution of milk and milk products.
· Vegetable Oil Control Orders: The Vegetable Oil Industry is administered
through the following control / regulation orders which are statutory in
nature deriving their powers from the Essential Commodities Act:
(i) Vegetable Oil Products (Regulation) Order, 1998,
(ii) Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order, 1998; and
(iii) Solvent Extracted Oil, De-oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control)
order, 1967.

Other Food related laws:
· Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1955 lays down specifications for
various food products for the food safety.
· The Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976, and Standards of
Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977