Eclectic eats
Food
Ingredients India 2006 presented by CMP was an ideal platform for the
Indian food-processing industry to exchange knowledge and business.
Times Food Processing Journal reports
FI India 2006 was a great success. The Honourable Minister
of State for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai inaugurated
the FI India 2006 conference. CMP Information & CMP India presented
internationally prestigious Food Ingredients India in Mumbai for the
first time ever. The one-day conference offered a highly focused networking
platform for local and international food ingredients suppliers and
food processors to discuss business opportunities in India. It presented
a forum to focus exclusively on the dynamic South Asian food ingredients
market.
On the
inauguration of the Food Ingredients Conference, Mr Sahai said, “India
is one of the largest market for raw material base for food processing,
the food being the single largest component of consumption with 53 per
cent of the total expenditure. The growth rate of food processing industry
is at 7.3 per cent, Government realises its role to link to the international
market. As per global trends, more thrust should be given on food ingredients
produced and focus on quality and international standards to enter the
international trade.” Speakers from regional and international
organisations presented their latest thinking on market insights into
trends and issues driving the food market, Indian regulatory scenario,
experiences of Indian food industry and Indian confectionery markets.“Our
aim was to create an educational forum which would bring together under
one roof international speakers who are recognised authorities on the
South Asian food ingredients market with a focused networking platform
for local and international food ingredient suppliers. We decided to
bring FI in India this year with a small conference with a small table
to create a networking event for top management in the food business,”
said conference organiser Eliane van Doorn, Group Exhibition Director,
Food Ingredients Portfolio, CMP information. The conference opened with
the talk on market insight into trends and issues followed by Indian
regulatory scenario. A plenary speech on finances was presented by ICICI,
after which Danisco-South Asia gave a session on their experience on
Indian food industry. In the second half, DSM Food and Palatinit Asia
Pacific on confectionery market and natural taste enhancement conducted
two parallel sessions.
M Gandhi,
MD, CMP India, said, “India is very big in natural ingredients
and dairy industry, with the emerging market we felt there was a need
to focus on the food industry, as the Government is also focusing on
getting more food processors into the country.” He added, “We
are confident that food industry professionals who attend the conference
will take away with them information that they simply could not get
from other sources – especially within the space of one day.”
FI event started in Europe in 1986 as a small conference in Holland,
which has grown.
