<div>Call it a USFDA effect. The 12th edition of the World Spice Congress that ended in Kochi on Wednesday (19 February), has stressed the need for driving quality up to the grass root level producers as part of sustainability initiatives.<br /><br />Margaret Hamburg, the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) Commissioner, who addressed the delegates earlier, had called for collaborations to enhance the safety of products that are exported to her country. Hamburg was on her first official visit to India and had met drugs and food industry representatives in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi to drive the point.<br /><br />Hamburg stated that the ongoing Indo-US collaboration is designed to enhance systematic responses for addressing challenges related to food safety and the spice Industry.<br /><br />The congress, which had 460 Indian delegates and 265 participants representing over 40 countries, wanted food safety to be a common responsibility and called for the use of innovative technology to produce high quality products that conform to international food safety norms.<br /><br />Addressing the congress, Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher wanted Indian exporters to realise the potential of promoting non-conventional applications and exports of innovative products derived from spices. “The focus should be on non-traditional aspects of spices in sectors such as healthcare, fragrances, cosmetics, garments etc., which in turn has the capacity to define a new market for Indian spices, globally”, he pointed out.</div>
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