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1. AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
ON
FOOD QUALITY/SAFETY STANDARDS
PRESENTATION BY:
EDWIN KATERBERG
PRINCIPLE BUSINESS CONSULTANT (SECTOR: FOOD, ADVANCED
MANUFACTURING)
ABROADER CONSULTANCY INDIA PVT. LTD. (BANGALORE-
AMSTERDAM)

3. Agenda
• Introduction: about us, about me
• Impressions about India in the international food arena
• The Act
• Stakeholders in Food Safety (National and International)
• Future of FSSAI from an international perspective

4. We bring foreign companies to India and vice versa
About us
• Established in 2001.
• Headquartered in Bangalore, India.
• Track record in Europe, Asia and
North America.
• Senior team of international Business
Consultants.
• Advisor to leading multinationals and
specialized SME’s.
• Promotor of FoodTechHolland Cluster
in India.
Area of Services
Business Acceleration
• Market Intelligence
• Market entry strategy
• Local implementation Support
• Partner search & selection
• Distribution Search & Expansion of network
Risk Reduction
• Partner Due diligence
• Mergers & acquisitions Mediation
• Deal structuring & negotiation support
• Post investment support
About Us

5. About Me
Born, raised and educated in the Netherlands.
Over 20 years of international experience in/with the food sector
(including buyers) in The Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, France,
India, Canada, Israel, Spain, Italy and China.
Former general manager and MD of two Indian Food Processing Companies.
Established food processing units from scratch (Turkey, South India)
Set-up of agri departments of international food companies (India, China).
Design and implementation of quality programs such as HACCP, ISO 9001, ISO
14001, ISO 22000, BRC and IFS in various companies.
Expertise in quality management, production management, purchase, sales and
general management of companies.
Received more than 25 foreign buyers in India to show them food
processing units.
Now: India-based Business Consultant (Food Processing) for foreign
companies entering India.
After 16 years in India, I feel 50% Indian.

6. India, no stranger to
International Business

7. Indian Business & Permits…
…..not easy for International businesses
Source: The World Bank Economy Rankings 2010

8. Global Affordability of Food Index*
(India ranks 70 out of 105)
1)AFFORDABILITY
Score 0-100, 100=best environment
Score 74.8 to 93.2
Score 52.5 to 74.7
Score 32.9 to 52.4
Score 10.5 to 32.8
India ranks 70 out of 105
countries surveyed with 34.8%
* Source: Economist
Intelligence Unit July 2012

9. Availability of Food Index*
(India ranks 52 out of 105)
2) AVAILABILITY
India ranks 52 out
of 105 countries
surveyed with
51.3%
Score 0-100, 100=best environment
Score 66.5 to 89.7
Score 50.3 to 66.4
Score 38.8 to 50.2
Score 23.4 to 38.7
* Source: Economist
Intelligence Unit July 2012

10. Quality and Safety of Food*
(India ranks 73 out of 105)
3) QUALITY AND
SAFETY
India ranks 73 out
of 105 countries
surveyed with
44.2%
Score 0-100, 100=best environment
Score 73.9 to 88.5
Score 57.5 to 73.8
Score 40.9 to 57.4
Score 15.9 to 40.8
* Source: Economist
Intelligence Unit July 2012

11. Some impressions about India in the
international arena……

12. ….unorganized & unhygienic (HACCP
certified) factories (through the eyes of the
international visitor)……

13. ….poor storage and production practices
(through the eyes of the international
visitor)……

14. ….staff not up to standards (they really
look at the exceptional details)……

15. …..(unfortunately) many business visitors
get food poisoning during their visit to
India…….

16. …this is also true (unfortunately) for some
of the 5.5 millions of tourist visiting India
each year….

17. …and they (unfortunately) take this
Indian hygiene story back home….
……Food Safety Impressions are formed outside your
factory compound….

18. Food gets rejected at foreign (EU)
borders….
Source: EU Rapid Alert System Food and Feed 2008

19. …due to a variety of reasons….
Source: EU Rapid Alert System Food and Feed 2008

20. Important impressions about the food
sector in India……
• Yes: International food industry is eying India, the Indian food
sector is very promising and attractive for international
players.
• Yes: some countries/industries really perceive India as the
next best thing.
• Yes: India is perceived as having the opportunity to take
advantage of its huge potential by servicing the immense local
and international markets.
HOWEVER ………………

21. International Food Safety impressions
about India
Lack of involvement of the food industry in promoting food safety
(substandard products, environmental issues). The new FSSAI
act is an important step forward.
Pesticides are the main concern of the (international)
consumer. The Indian farming system does not address pesticide
issues enough.
Non-ratification of the International Endosulfan Accord by India.
Child labour is still rampant in the food industry and agri related
sectors (not only a social issue but also a safety issue).
Foreign supermarkets only buy from India in case they really have
no other choice than buying from India. The Indian industry still
exports mainly to or via the Indian Diaspora (UK, Canada, US).

22. International Food Safety impressions
about India
Food safety is very much driven by some individuals but
it is not engrained in the minds of all the workers. It is
not system driven (yet), there are some exceptions
though.
Accreditation of food industries by several local
accreditation agencies that are not up to the mark.
The current problems with waste clearance and
implementation of waste clearance systems in Bangalore
are a reflection of the industry.
Implementation is seen as a burden rather as than an
improvement of systems with the intention to help
Some substandard factories in the Indian industry
spoil the reputation of India in international markets (‘one
bad apple’).

23. Some conclusions
There is still a long way to go for the (Indian)
industry to produce safe products.
There are plenty of opportunities for improvement in
the industry and society at large.
FSSAI is a good development, it will help the
industry to export and the consumers to a large
extent.
It is not all doom and gloom. Some rapid improvements
have taken place by major players and some leading
mid-sized and smaller companies in the food industry.
India has proven to the world to be forward thinking
and motivated to improve!!

24. The Act
An Act to consolidate the laws relating to food and to
establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
for laying down science based standards for articles of food
and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale
and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome
food for human consumption and for matters connected
therewith or incidental thereto.
My opinion:
A good alignment with international regulation.

25. Stakeholders in Food Safety
We need to work
Together!

26. FSSAI Future from an
International Perspective
• FSSAI is a good step. But we are not there yet.
• More collaboration needed between consumers,
government and industry. Where is the international
stakeholder?
• The industry will become more market driven rather than
industry driven. Markets include export markets &
international visitors eating Indian food.
• The industry will have to do more introspection on where
they stand on food safety laws.
• Change of culture is needed through extensive training of
the labour force.
• Do not re-invent the wheel again. Learn from
international Best Practices or an Indian company with
excellent facilities.

27. Interested in Getting in Touch with International Best
Practices in Food Processing?
Join the FoodTechHolland Trade Mission to the Netherlands
1.One week Programme on International Food Processing &
Innovation.
2. End Nov./Dec. (dates to be finalized) 2012
3.Co-sponsored by the Dutch Government, catering to the
needs of the Indian agri-food industry.
4.Meet the international buyer, meet the technology
suppliers, meet potential partners, meet investors.

28. Some of the companies Abroader worked with
Clients & References

29. Clients & References
Some of the companies Abroader worked with

30. Clients & References
Some of the companies Abroader worked with

31. Clients and references
Some of the companies Larive International has recently supported

32. Abroader Consultancy India Pvt. Ltd.
(Koramangala, Bangalore)
edwin@abroader.com
Mobile: +91 72040 35053
www.abroader.com

33. AFRIS. AsianFoodRegulationInformationService.
We have the largest database of Asian food regulations in the world and it’s
FREE to use.
We publish a range of communication services, list a very large number of
food events and online educational webinars and continue to grow our Digital
Library.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
www.asianfoodreg.com
adrienna@asianfoodreg.com