The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the apex body for the promotion of exports, has extended the date for Indian peanut processing and exporting firms to obtain Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) certification to June 30, 2014.
All peanut and peanut processing companies have to submit documentary evidence that they have obtained these certificates for exporting. APEDA stated that no further extension will be given for the certification.
Earlier, the authority mandated that all peanut exporting units get the certification for HACCP to ensure safety with lesser contamination in the products exported. The strong safety and standard measures were taken by APEDA after several cautions from the European Union (EU), an important importer.
In March, EU published a audit report of its talks with India and assessment of Aflotoxin contamination in peanuts produced in India. European countries are an important importer of Indian peanuts products. It has made serious concerns over the peanuts from India due to its contamination lack of control over the processing units.
EU recommended that India make all peanut farmers aware about the Aflotoxin contamination and work for its reduction. It also wanted India to control and scrutinise the vital processing methods of peanuts that would be exported to EU. In the audit report, EU has observed that contamination is high in level and need to be curbed by effective measures.
The report upheld the measures taken by Indian exporting authorities, but wanted them to be implemented effectively. As per APEDA notifications, recognition of peanut and peanut processing (PPP) units would be mandatory for exports to both EU and non-EU countries.
Vinitha Sudhanshu, assistant general manager, western region, APEDA, said, “Aflotoxin is a kind of fungal infection that affects the quality of peanut produced.”
“Many countries have made the limit for Aflotoxin contamination in peanuts. As concerns raised by EU and other peanut-importing countries, APEDA set up different measures to control such contaminations and ensure quality,” she added.
“Mandatory HACCP certification would ensure the contaminations are below the prescribed levels. The final dates for document submission is extended to ensure the smooth flow of procedures and in convenience of processing units,” Sudhanshu added.
“The units having FSSAI registration and licencing will have to follow Aflotoxin limits as per the norms of importing countries, and in the absence of any specified limits, they would have to follow Codex standards,” stated the report issued by R K Boyal, director, APEDA.
The first deadline was December 2013, which was further extended through Addendum-IV to March 2014. Due to technical reasons, and to help the processing companies to complete the procedures, APEDA has issued Addendum-V, which was signed by Boyal and stated that the date was extended to June.
All peanut processing units, including integrated peanut processing units, peanut shelling units, peanut grading units, peanut shelling-cum-grading units and peanut godowns and storage has asked to get its certifications.
HACCP is a technique for preventing micro-biological, chemical and physical contamination along the food supply chain.
