Seminar on Non biological contaminations

A national seminar on Non-biological Cotaminants in Food,feed and their safety standards was organized on 23rd and 24th September, 2008, inaugurated by Vice-President of India Shri Mohmad Hamid Ansari and Shri Subodh Kant Sahai, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries. This Seminar focused on four broad category of food-Milk and Processed dairy products; Poultry, Meat, Fish and Eggs; Agriculture commodities, Oilseed meals and fruits, vegetables, fruits, vegetables, fruit juices and non alcoholic beverages were discussed in context with contamination by Mycotoxins, Pesticides, Dioxins and Heavy-metals. 

The Seminar provided a suitable platform to the experts in all segments of food and feed to bring out relevant issues and helped to evolve roadmap in food quality and food safety standards for the country to achieve excellence in food safety. 

Non-biological contaminants like Dioxins, Mycotoxins, Pesticide residues, Heavy metals in food and feed are neither media hype nor a subject of discussion to be ignored anymore. The growing volume of data compiled does bring out strong linkage of these contaminants with growing incidences of both human and animal diseases, posing potential health hazards. There exists a gap between prescribed safety standards and limits set forth in developed and developing countries. 

Till date biological contaminants in food and feed are given more importance and has been subject of attention due to their immediate impact and profound effect on human and animal health, however, the effect of non-biological contaminants in food and feed have been overlooked. The NBC in food leaves hazardous effect after a long time of exposure and often are irreversible.