Parliament Question: Processed food exports and quality compliance

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 859 ANSWERED ON 06/02/2026 PROCESSED FOOD EXPORTS AND QUALITY COMPLIANCE 859. MS. SWATI MALIWAL Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state: (a) the value and volume of India’s processed food exports during the last five years, category-wise and destination-wise; (b) the number of consignments rejected abroad each year, country-wise, category-wise and reason-wise and the estimated annual export loss due to such rejections; (c) the number of NABL/APEDA-approved food testing laboratories, State-wise; and (d) the steps taken to assist MSMEs and women-led enterprises to enhance their participation in processed food exports? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) The value and volume of processed food products exports from India during the past five years, category-wise and destination-wise are enclosed at Annexure-I and Annexure-II, respectively. (b) Rejections of agricultural products by importing countries are notified as non- compliances. The reasons for the non-compliances differ from product to product and are majority because of difference in standard limit of contamination. The available details of non- compliances, as notified by the importing countries during the period between 2021 to 2025 for key commodities are placed at Annexure-III. (c) The State/UT-wise number of laboratories recognized by NABL/APEDA is attached as Annexure-IV. (d) To promote exports of processed food products, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) provides financial assistance to its registered exporters, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and women- led enterprises, under its Financial Assistance Scheme covering export infrastructure, quality development, and market development, with assistance up to 40% of eligible costs and enhanced support up to 75% for women entrepreneurs. APEDA has also organized over 1,400 capacity-building and sensitization programmes covering more than 1.5 lakh participants to enhance export readiness. Further, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) through implementation of various initiatives and schemes viz. Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) and Production 1Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industries (PLISFPI) aims for the overall development of food processing sector. PMFME specially focuses on MSMEs and women-led enterprises. The scheme provides financial, technical and business support for setting up/ upgradation of micro food processing enterprises in the country. ***** 2Annexure(s) referred to in reply to Part (a), (b) & (c) of Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 859 for answer on 06.02.2026 Annexure I India’s Export of Processed Food to World in last five years: Value in USD million Volume in Million tons and **Million litres Last five years Commodity Value Volume PREPARATIONS OF MEAT, OF FISH OR OF CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS OR OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES 3719.30 0.45 SUGARS AND SUGAR CONFECTIONERY. 20355.20 44.68 COCOA AND COCOA PREPARATIONS. 937.25 0.18 PREPARATIONS OF CEREALS, FLOUR, STARCH OR MILK; PASTRYCOOKS PRODUCTS. 3718.81 2.26 PREPARATIONS OF VEGETABLES, FRUIT, NUTS OR OTHER PARTS OF PLANTS. 4767.61 3.36 MISCELLANEOUS EDIBLE PREPARATIONS. 6486.07 1.71 BEVERAGES, SPIRITS AND VINEGAR. ** 1954.51 1.44 RESIDUES AND WASTE FROM THE FOOD INDUSTRIES; PREPARED ANIMAL FODER. 11104.70 24.36 Total 53043.5 78.44 Source: DGCIS Annexure II Top 3 Destinations of Processed Food Export from India to World: PREPARATIONS OF MEAT, OF FISH OR OF CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS OR OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES Value in USD Mn Country / Region Last five years U S A 3032.74 CANADA 240.27 BELGIUM 58.34 Total 3531.04 SUGARS AND SUGAR CONFECTIONERY. Value in USD Mn Country / Region Last five years SUDAN 2519.82 LIBYA 581.34 SOMALIA 1357.76 Total 10644.60 COCOA AND COCOA PREPARATIONS, Value in USD Mn Country / Region Last five years U S A 233.39 NETHERLAND 54 U ARAB EMTS 57.09 Total 674.31 3PREPARATIONS OF CEREALS, FLOUR, STARCH OR MILK; PASTRYCOOKS PRODUCTS Value in USD Mn Country / Region Last five years U S A 650.34 U ARAB EMTS 265.65 U K 209.4 Total 2188.68 PREPARATIONS OF VEGETABLES, FRUIT, NUTS OR OTHER PARTS OF PLANTS. Value in USD Mn Country / Region Last five years U S A 828.84 NETHERLAND 360.77 SAUDI ARAB 262.09 Total 2923.36 Source: DGCI&S MISCELLANEOUS EDIBLE PREPARATIONS. Value in USD Mn Country / Region Last five years U S A 1244.66 U ARAB EMTS 601.58 RUSSIA 380.65 Total 3779.26 BEVERAGES, SPIRITS AND VINEGAR Value in USD Mn Country / Region Last five years U ARAB EMTS 580.7 SINGAPORE 141.47 NETHERLAND 66.26 Total 1239.86 RESIDUES AND WASTE FROM THE FOOD INDUSTRIES; PREPARED ANIMAL FODDER. Value in USD Mn Country / Region Last five years BANGLADESH PR 2113.19 VIETNAM SOC REP 1152.08 KOREA RP 911.66 Total 7500.41 Source: DGCI&S 4Annexure-III Details of non-compliances Commodity Number of non-compliances 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 European Union Rice 10 39 25 38 44 Peanut and Peanut Products 11 37 17 7 15 Fruits and Vegetables 24 20 26 24 21 Processed Food Products 38 33 23 32 29 Other (Ghee) - - - - 1 Spices 25 56 56 35 73 Tea 1 3 1 5 1 Indonesia Peanut and Peanut Products - 1 2 4 12 Wheat - 2 - - - Thailand Peanut - - 7 3 8 Vietnam Peanut - 1 - - - Azerbaijan Peanut - - 1 - - Philippines Peanut - - 2 - - Spices 0 0 0 0 2 Singapore Peanut - - 8 - - Spices - - - - 2 Australia Peanut and Peanut Products - - - 2 3 Fresh Fruits and Vegetables - - - 1 2 Other Processed foods - - - 19 5 Spices - - 14 15 17 Taiwan Tea 1 - - - - USA Tea - - - 1 - Spices 93 102 60 74 169 Japan Spices - - 2 2 - Hong Kong Spices - - - 2 4 Other countries Spices 6 1 2 4 - *Source: As compiled by APEDA, Tea Board and Spices Board, based on the information available on Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASSF) portal of European Commission and the non-compliances received from the Competent Authorities of importing countries. 5Annexure-IV The State/UT-wise number of laboratories recognized by NABL/APEDA S. No State/UT Number of testing laboratory 1. Andhra Pradesh 3 2. Chhattisgarh 1 3. Delhi 6 4. Gujarat 13 5. Haryana 11 6. Himachal Pradesh 1 7. Jharkhand 1 8. Jammu and Kashmir 1 9. Karnataka 9 10. Kerala 7 11. Maharashtra 31 12. Madhya Pradesh 6 13. Odissa 1 14. Punjab 1 15. Rajasthan 2 16. Telangana 7 17. Tamil Nadu 15 18. Uttar Pradesh 3 19. Uttarakhand 2 20. West Bengal 4 Total 125 6