Dr Mridul Salgame, Director, FRESH is a Consultant on Food Processing and Quality Control. She is also President, Bangalore Chapter, AFSTC (I) All India Food Scientists Technologists. She spoke to indiamarkets about FRESH and its activities.

indiamarkets: Tell us about FRESH.
Mridul Salgame: FRESH – The Foundation of Food Research and Enterprise for Safety and Hygiene – was set up recognising the critical need for timely action in the field of food safety and hygiene. FRESH is a non profit organisation evolved with the sole objective of creating awareness on food safety and improving hygiene and sanitation levels among personnel from food industries and food service establishments.

indiamarkets: What are the objectives of FRESH ?
Mridul Salgame:  Objectives of FRESH are:

• To undertake field studies and surveys on aspects related to food safety and hygiene, food production, food security and nutrition.
• To organize training programmes or undertake projects for enhancement of professional management skills of personnel involved in food service establishments.
• To implement schemes and projects relating to creating awareness on aspects of various food borne illnesses – relevance and occurrence, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
• To conduct intensive training programmes on aspects of food safety, hygiene and sanitation, HACCP and GMP for the food industry and other similar service sectors.
• To implement schemes and projects relating to creating awareness on aspects of various food borne illnesses, relevance and occurrence, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
• To conduct intensive training programmes on aspects of food safety, hygiene and sanitation and implement Hazard Analysis Control Point (HACCCP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) from the farm to the table.

indiamarkets: Who are your services targeted at?
Mridul Salgame: Food industries, food service organisations, corporate sector with in-house food service, government institutions involved with food handling, public sector in food service/handling, educational and training institutions, certifying institutions and consumer organisations.

indiamarkets:What projects has FRESH worked on?
Mridul Salgame: FRESH has worked on the following projects:

• Survey on hygiene and sanitaion among eateries in Bangalore for the Bangalore Hotel Association.
• Assessment and identification of microbial contamination in spices from farm to processing for an MNC.
• Hygiene Audit and Implementation through training and sensitizing programme of a commercial kitchen for a software company.
• Development of a replicable model to improve the hygiene of streetfoods in Bangalore city for Ministry of Health, Government of India through WHO.
• Study on streamlining sample collection and anlysis under Prevention of Food Adulteration Act for Bangalore Mahanagar Palike.

FRESH has carried out a national level study for HLL on chilli, turmeric and coriander-observed practices, did photo documentation, extensive microbiological studies, identified exact stage at which contamination takes place.

FRESH also offers consultancy to food establishments. It sees a link between quality foods availability and tourism. This again involves hotels and restaurants.

indiamarkets: What do you feel about quality maintenance in processed foods?
Mridul Salgame: Instead of focusing on quality at the end product stage, focus should be on quality through all stages. There has to be accountability at every stage. This also means a lot of documentation. FRESH is working on HACCP, which is becoming important.

According to FRESH, even before one starts on HACCP, an establishment must work on GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) right from the farm level. FRESH works on identifying GMPs from the farm to the table stage. First GMPs should be strong, then go on to HACCP.

Much effort is taken in spices and dairying to take quality checks at the end stage – but these steps should be taken before. Also, a number of small manufacturing units carry out such processes but not the right way – for instance, care should be taken while irradiating foods.

indiamarkets: Are the methods that FRESH advises expensive?
Mridul Salgame:They are not expensive. High costs are not involved. What we advise involves inculcating different habits.