The CEO of FSSAI underscored the organization’s dedication to enhancing the honey industry during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the India Honey Alliance held on September 3, 2024, in New Delhi. His remarks focused on addressing critical issues such as HMF (Hydroxymethylfurfural), standardizing laboratory practices, and providing clear interpretations of existing regulations and standards regarding honey.
This milestone event marked three years of progress for the India Honey Alliance (IHA), featuring nearly 100 attendees. The gathering brought together a diverse group, including beekeepers, IHA members, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), aggregators, brand retailers, scientific experts, and other stakeholders within the industry.
Kamala Vardhana Rao, the CEO of FSSAI, graciously attended as the Guest of Honor, joined by Dr. Satyen Kumar Panda, Advisor in <a href=”https://www.pfionline.com/quality-assurance-in-food-industry/”>Quality Assurance</a> at FSSAI.
Dignitaries present at the AGM highlighted IHA’s rise as the authoritative voice for all participants in the honey marketplace. Within a few short years since its establishment, IHA has achieved significant milestones, working diligently towards the holistic development of the sector and fostering a more supportive environment for the beekeeping community. Notably, the Government of India has acknowledged IHA as a key stakeholder in all matters relating to honey.
In his keynote address, CEO Kamala Vardhana Rao emphasized FSSAI’s unwavering commitment to nurturing the honey ecosystem. He articulated the importance of tackling ongoing issues, including HMF, standardizing laboratory procedures, and interpreting regulations and standards surrounding honey quality. Additionally, he expressed strong support for IHA’s initiatives and highlighted the significance of technical training programs, consumer awareness campaigns, and the development of stringent honey standards.
Rao congratulated IHA for its leading role in understanding and addressing industry challenges. He recognized their efforts to raise consumer awareness and enhance productivity across the honey sector each year. Furthermore, he urged all involved stakeholders to work collaboratively to create greater demand for honey and promote its increased consumption.
The AGM began with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony, followed by a welcome address from Deepak Jolly, Secretary General of IHA. Namrata Khanna, Director of IHA, extended a warm welcome to guests and provided a comprehensive overview of IHA’s extensive initiatives and achievements over the past few years, notably including a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with NIFTEM-K.
Dr. Komal Chauhan, Dean of Outreach and Head of Department at NIFTEM-K, praised IHA’s initiatives and noted that the collaboration has proven to be exceptionally fruitful and impactful. She shared exciting news that NIFTEM is currently developing a master trainers program aimed at enhancing skills in beekeeping and improving honey testing protocols.
Rahul Awasthi, Chairperson of the India Honey Alliance, articulated the IHA’s vision for growth, aiming to uplift all members of the honey value chain. He stated, “Our motto at IHA is to uplift the beekeepers and work towards improving the state of the entire honey ecosystem. We have received great affirmations from the industry stakeholders, further inspiring us to take IHA to the next level.”
During the meeting, the FSSAI CEO announced plans for stakeholder consultations addressing all aspects of the honey value chain. Furthermore, IHA and its esteemed members advocated for FSSAI to implement nationwide consumer awareness programs aimed at debunking myths surrounding honey products.
Among the distinguished government officials present were Dr. RS Rajpoot from the Small Farmers Agri-Consortium within the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GOI, and Dr. Komal Chauhan, Dean of Outreach at NIFTEM-K. The event attracted prominent figures from the honey industry, including representatives from leading brands, exporters, and top beekeepers such as Rahul Awasthi, Chairperson of IHA; Mansoor Ali, CSMO of Hamdard Foods; Pranav Sharma from Baidyanath; Ranjan Mitra, R&D Head at Dabur; Vinit Singh from Brij Honey Pvt Ltd; Amit Gupta from Indocan Honey Pvt Ltd; Narinder Jaryal, BDM at Thermo Fisher Scientific; Naveen Garg from MM Kashmiri Honey; Subhash Kamboj from Kamboj Honey Bee Farm; and Vinod Kumar from One Circle Foundation. The meeting was presided over by Deepak Jolly, Secretary General of IHA, and Namrata Khanna, Director of IHA.
The collective sentiment among experts present was that the beekeeping sector remains highly fragmented and unorganized. It was agreed that the Government and all stakeholders in the honey ecosystem must collaborate to implement effective measures to enhance the beekeeping industry, boost honey export and production, and generate sustainable income and employment opportunities for beekeepers.
Moving forward, dignitaries emphasized that the honey industry must unite to foster collaboration across the entire ecosystem for sourcing, processing, testing, and packaging honey, both for domestic and international markets.
To stay updated on the latest trends and innovations in the food and beverage industry, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
