New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has joined hands with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) of Brazil to improve food safety through joint projects and technical collaboration, the government said on Sunday.

Signed on the sidelines of ‘Global Food Regulators Summit, 2024’ in the national capital, the MoU heralds a new phase of cooperation between the two countries.

G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of FSSAI, said that this move “demonstrates our dedication to food safety and signifies a major advancement in our ongoing efforts to enhance international collaboration in food safety”.

“We are eager to work with MAPA to achieve our common goals and enhance food safety in both countries,” Rao added.

The representative from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil said that this marks a milestone in the bilateral relations between the two countries in the field of food safety, allowing for technical cooperation and exchange of experience and knowledge with the aim of strengthening the institutional collaboration and pursuing joint initiatives.

Meanwhile, the FSSAI, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. also conducted a bilateral meeting with the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) at the summit.

The meeting focused on implementation protocol of the agreement signed between India and BFDA in March during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The pact underscores a mutual commitment to enhance food safety, aligning regulatory frameworks, simplifying the food import procedure and fostering technical collaboration.

The agreement further seeks to enhance technical cooperation between FSSAI and BFDA, establishing a functional mechanism to facilitate and develop trade between the two countries.

Rao said that by working closely with the BFDA, “we are building a robust and effective food safety framework that will serve the interests of both the nations.”

Gyem Bidha, Director, BFDA, said this bilateral meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the implementation challenges while exporting to India and on the areas of technical cooperation and capacity building to effectively implement the agreement at the grassroot level.