The ICAR-CIFT has been declared a Centre of Excellence in Food Authenticity during a national workshop on "Food Authenticity and Traceability using Omics Techniques," organized at the institute today under the ICAR-NASF Foodomics Project in collaboration with Waters India Pvt. Ltd. This recognition marks a significant milestone in advancing food authentication research and quality assurance in India, particularly in the fisheries sector.

The MoU on the Centre of Excellence in Food Authenticity was exchanged by Dr. George Ninan, Director of ICAR-CIFT, and Shri T. Anil Kumar, President of Waters India Pvt. Ltd., signifying a collaborative effort to advance food authentication technologies in India. The workshop is an important milestone in strengthening India’s capabilities in food authentication, with a special focus on fisheries, through the use of advanced scientific tools and by fostering international collaborations. ICAR-CIFT’s designation as a Centre of Excellence is expected to boost research in this area, promoting new technologies to ensure the integrity of food products. This move also positions India at the forefront of global efforts to enhance food safety and traceability through cutting-edge research innovations.

In the keynote address, Dr. L.N. Murthy, Senior Executive Director of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad, highlighted the need for national traceability of fish and fishery products. The technical sessions were led by Shri Shrinivas B. Joshi, Associate Director of the Food & Environment Market, Waters India Pvt. Ltd., and Dr. Niladri Sekhar Chatterjee, Senior Scientist at ICAR-CIFT.