Today’s Indian consumer is more aware of the importance of food safety. Organizations with clear prioritization from management, accessible and frequent training, and encouragement to their employees ensure commitment to making safe food. Therefore, all members of the food supply chain, whether it’s a food supplier, food business owner, manufacturer, or customer, play an important role in maintaining food safety. It aims at protecting customers from food poisoning and foodborne illnesses that can affect human life and business performance for establishment owners.
Merck India also takes a step ahead and looks towards playing an important role in the food segment. The company has always believed in building and nurturing talent and spreading knowledge amongst the growing pool of its workforce. It also empowers them with the most up-to-date skills required for the food sector. As an extension of the same, Merck India is educating microbiologists on the latest technologies and advancements with regard to food hygiene monitoring.
To know more about Merck’s collaboration with industry bodies in imparting industry skill-based training, we spoke to Merck India spokesperson Dr Veena P Panicker, Head, Bio Monitoring, Merck Life Science India. Dr Panicker throws light on the food safety and hygiene scene in the industry…
Tell us something about yourself, and your journey with Merck India? Also, what triggered your interest in this field?
I resonate with the core idea at Merck – science is at the heart of what we do. There is always an opportunity to learn something new every day. My journey in the life science space stems from a strong attachment to being closely associated with life science. Enabling our customers to solve the toughest problems in life science motivates and energizes me. In my career journey of 25 years, I have been assigned roles in the areas of product management, marketing, strategy and commercial. The BioMonitoring business vertical of Merck life science is involved with providing tools and solutions to help pharmaceutical and F&B customers manage their microbial contamination levels in their products.
Tell us about Merck India’s contribution to the hospitality industry.
Merck Lifescience is a science and technology company. Across industrial applications, our customer centric workflow solutions test products to meet the highest safety standards and partner to provide quality solutions. Our expertise in microbiology in areas of capture, growth and detection ensures we play a critical role in the hospitality industry to ensure microbial safety to our customers.
Which industry bodies have you collaborated with to impart skill-based training?
There is a growing trend towards the adoption of innovative technologies in the food safety industry. Given the average Indian consumer’s increased awareness of the food they consume and its crucial impact on their health, organizations must adopt adequate food safety measures, prioritize this aspect, and ensure accessible and regular training for their employees. This applies to all participants in the food supply chain, including suppliers, business owners, manufacturers, and customers.
Acknowledging the importance of skill development in food safety and hygiene, Merck is contributing to it by working closely with the manufacturers as well as the regulatory bodies to resolve issues and concerns about the safety and efficacy of the products. To ensure the efficacy of our initiatives, we have partnered with regulatory bodies to align our skill development programs with their established guidelines and regulations. As part of our efforts, we offer hands-on training for food inspectors and processors at Merck’s Centre for Microbiological Analysis Training (C-MAT) Lab, which has strong roots in technology and innovation and provides the best analytical and microbiology products in the biotech space. Additionally, we expand our commitment by teaching microbiologists on the most recent technology and breakthroughs in food hygiene monitoring, namely rapid detection techniques, through our initiatives in Merck India.
We have recently announced a collaboration with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to educate microbiologists on the newest technology and improvements in food hygiene monitoring. Merck Life Science will aid in encouraging enrollment in training programs and offering practical experience with the latest technological innovations for microbial load separation, growth, and identification in industrial microbiology disciplines, according to our Memorandum of Understanding.
The company has always believed in building and nurturing talent and spreading knowledge across its growing workforce. We aim to empower them with the most up-to-date skills required in the culinary industry.
What are the recent innovations in food safety solutions?
At Merck Life Science, our relentless pursuit is to remain at the cutting edge of food safety and hygiene monitoring in the industry. We understand the need for precise and efficient testing procedures to maintain the highest standards in the food industry and are committed to delivering innovative solutions that enhance food safety and ensure reliable food testing.
We have made considerable progress by diversifying our product portfolio to encompass a comprehensive range of solutions tailored exclusively for the food and beverage sectors. Among these offerings are an array of pioneering technologies, such as GDS-IMS- gene detection systems, Transia Platforms, and MVP-ICON, which serve as valuable food safety tools. These innovations empower food safety scientists to effectively manage HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) audits and pathogen testing, addressing the challenges they encounter in this crucial aspect of their work.
Our solutions include classical reagents and solvents, high-purity solvents, chromatography products, photometric kits, and instruments for chemical analyses. In addition, we offer a comprehensive platform for testing food pathogens, which has contributed to improving global food safety and quality through efficient laboratory testing and regulatory expertise.
As a global and responsible leader, Merck India prioritizes the efficient processing of products to detect impurities and chemical residues, ensuring the delivery of safe and hygienic products to consumers. Our commitment is reflected in our state-of-the-art testing solutions that consistently deliver accurate results while being compliant with changing standards.
How is India faring with respect to food safety management?
With India’s food industry ready for the next great boom and the pandemic acting as a catalyst of change, guaranteeing food safety becomes a vital need for the country’s economy, trade, and the nutritional security of its people. Currently, India’s food testing market is worth 60 million Euros. And with the changing food and lifestyle habits of the population, the need for smart food safety solutions is only going to rise.
India is striving for a zero-tolerance approach to food safety incidents by adopting advanced food safety and hygiene standards that align with the ever-evolving demands and innovations in food technology. Through the implementation of numerous initiatives and regulations, India has made great progress in improving food safety management. These measures aim to elevate the safety and quality of the nation’s food supply chain. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has played a leading role in these endeavors by introducing stringent guidelines and standards governing food production, processing, and distribution.
Although there has been significant improvement in food safety management, there are a few inconsistencies that need to be fulfilled. The country is working to build a more robust and dependable food safety management system.
What is your vision for the food safety industry in India? And how do you plan to get there?
We have strategic plans aimed at expanding our presence in the Food and Beverage (F&B) business and establishing a robust foothold in India. At the moment, our key focus is on improving the skill development of Quality Control (QC) professionals in the Food and Beverage (F&B) market. To achieve this goal, we will introduce cutting-edge and rapid microbiological testing and identification methods. These initiatives are being implemented in collaboration with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) at the CMAT laboratory in Delhi. Furthermore, we intend to expand this training program in the future to include food inspectors and food scientists within the Food and Beverage (F&B) industry. We hope to facilitate knowledge sharing by combining international experience, ultimately strengthening our country’s position in food exports.
