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It is meant to be a lifeline for the food
industry, particularly the small player. Launched by Chordia Technologies Ltd (of the
Chordia group which has been in the food processing industry for over three decades) and
co-sponsored by the Agricultural & Food Products Exports Development Authority
(APEDA), the CD, Food India, is a virtual storehouse "for anything and everything in
the food industry."
Laws, specifications, standards, associations, institutes, commercial information about
food products, technical information, new concepts in food processing, future trends and
projections, reference material. the CD has it all. This virtual guide carries information
on food laws both domestic and international including HACCP and ISO, statistics, industry
information, relevant tax structures, information on suppliers of raw material, equipment
manufacturers and suppliers, service providers, information on processed food
manufacturers, food bodies and associations, even financial institutions and project
consultants.
"The food industry is a scattered and fragmented industry with a lot of small
players. Information is not easily available, and this becomes all the more difficult for
smaller companies spread in remote locations. Yet, information availability is critical to
this industry, which is governed by 40 different laws," says Pradeep Chordia,
managing director, Chordia Technologies, who aims at remedying this lacuna. The CD has
been developed keeping the needs of the industry in mind.
The CD is also meant to be an aid to survival to these industries in the imminent WTO
regime. "In two years, when WTO stipulations begin to take effect, Indian laws will
become outdated with Codex laws coming into force," says Chordia. The CD offers
information on the relevant requirements under the WTO, including HACCP and Codex laws.
Priced at Rs 3,000, the CD, the
company proposes, will be updated with newer versions periodically, with the new versions
made available to existing subscribers at nominal charge.
The choice of medium, the CD, was made keeping in mind the remote areas where food
processing units are located, where a PC would be available, but a sustained Internet
connection would not.
Three more CDs are planned in related areas -- Horti India, Dairy India and Agri
India -- to cater to the horticulture, dairy and agriculture sectors. These are likely to
be brought out in local languages. "The objective is the same: that of information
dissemination," says Chordia.
A complementary portal, agrifoodindia.com is simultaneously being developed, slated for launch in two months'' time. The portal will serve
as a back-up support for the food processing community, and will include services such as
training, e-commerce, import and export, practical application of technology. "We
want this to be the number one portal for the food industry," says Chordia.
All the IT-related activities have been brought under the banner of Agrifood Infomatics
Ltd by the Chordia group.
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