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Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday stressed the need for rigorous food safety standards and an adaptable regulatory framework to address innovative food trends such as plant-based proteins, insect proteins, and lab-grown meat. Speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day global food regulators summit in the national capital, Nadda emphasised the importance of widespread adoption of organic farming globally to mitigate the risks posed by pesticide residues in food. The minister expressed concern over recent reports revealing an "alarming presence of microplastics in humans" and highlighted India's efforts in developing eco-friendly packaging to reduce environmental impact. "The rapid globalisation, technological advancements and evolving consumer preferences are reshaping our food systems at an unprecedented pace. We face a complex area of challenge from persistent foodborne illness and emerging concerns such as nutraceutical safety, novel foods and microplastics in our food chain
Consuming red meat is related to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis of more than 19 lakh adults from 20 countries across world regions, including southeast Asia, providing the "most comprehensive evidence to date." Published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal, the analysis found that a habitual consumption of three types of meat and their daily amounts - 50 grams of processed meat, 100 grams of unprocessed red meat and 100 grams of poultry - was related to 15 per cent, 10 per cent and eight per cent increases in risk of developing type 2 diabetes, respectively. The international team of researchers from the US, UK, Brazil, Mexico, among others, said that intake of meat exceeds recommended levels in many regions of the world and has been correlated with non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes. However, all the existing evidences are largely based on studies from high-income countries, mainly in North America and Europe, they said. F
There is no requirement to bring slaughterhouses and meat processing units under the ambit of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, as guidelines and safeguards are already in place to regulate them from an environmental perspective, the Centre has told the National Green Tribunal. Animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi approached the green tribunal last year demanding that slaughterhouses and meat processing units be brought within the ambit of EIA, 2006. She raised concerns regarding over consumption of water at slaughterhouses, contamination of water bodies due to improper solid waste disposal and the risk of zoonotic diseases due to exposure to unhealthy carcasses among others. The Union Environment Ministry submitted an affidavit to the NGT recently. The affidavit is based on a report by an eight-member working group set up by the ministry in August last year. "Requisite guidelines/safeguards are already in place to regulate the slaughterhouses /processing
Slaughterhouses and shops selling meat and fish in urban areas of Madhya Pradesh shall remain closed on January 22, the day the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple is to take place in Ayodhya, officials said on Saturday. The urban development department has issued a directive to civic bodies to ensure that meat shops and slaughterhouses remain closed on January 22, said a government release. A special cleanliness drive will also be undertaken in all urban areas, including in temple premises, on the occasion of the Ram Mandir 'pran pratishtha' ceremony, it said. Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has asked local bodies to ensure maximum participation of people and public representatives in the drive, the release added. The BJP government in the state has already declared a half-day for government offices and holiday for schools and colleges on January 22.
Startup ZappFresh, which sells meat in Delhi-NCR through its online platform, has acquired Dr. Meat in a deal value of USD 3 million as part of its strategy to enter the Bengaluru market. The company has fully acquired Bengaluru-based Dr. Meat, a brand operated by Sukos Foods, ZappFresh said in a statement. The company did not disclose the deal value. However, the market sources said that the deal was valued at around USD 3 million. The acquisition of Dr. Meat aligns perfectly with ZappFresh's growth strategy and vision for the future, it added. ZappFresh aims to enter new markets with Bengaluru being the first target. Deepanshu Manchanda, founder of ZappFresh, said, "Dr. Meat's demonstrated ability to achieve substantial scale without compromising its bottom line resonates strongly with ZappFresh's vision. We have been profitable for the last 4 years and anticipate reaching revenue of Rs 70 crore within 12 months in Bengaluru alone, while targeting a top line of Rs 300 crore by