Stevia Global Summit India 2012, held on 8th April at FICCI, New Delhi India

April 12, 2012 - PRLog -- 3rd Stevia Global Summit India 2012

India Stevia Association ( ISA )  brought Stevia more closer to farmers, food and beverages companies, health conscious people and diabetic population by organizing its 3rd Stevia Global Summit India 2012 held on 8th April, 2012 at Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( FICCI) New Delhi in which the emphasize was given for use of stevia in food and beverages products and to bring more awareness and knowledge development -  told Mr. Sourabh Agarwal, founder of India Stevia Association.

Stevia is a natural Sweetener which is the extract of the plant called Stevia Rebaodiana, is 300 times sweeter than sugar and is of zero calorie properties, being natural its have no side effects as like chemical base sweeteners based on Aspartame.

The Conference was attended by Senior personnel’s from Ministry of Health, FSSAI, CFTRI, Indian Drug Department, PepsiCo, Coca Cola, Indian Food Processing Association, CSIR, NMPB, Stevia knowledge Group, Hamdard University, Horticulture Board, Paraguay Embassy, Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd., TERI, Stevia Global Forum, Food technologists, Leading farmers, Researchers, Food and Beverage industry, India Stevia Association and key stake holders in stevia farming and processing industry with many foreign dignitaries.

This conference prove to be a comprehensive conference on the stevia value chain, with important insights covering stevia applications in the Food & Beverage sector, stevia regulatory Issues, stevia market trends, Stevia product launches, Stevia investments and new and innovative developments taking place in cultivation, processing and formulation development. This Conference offered up-to-the-minute updates on the latest developments in Stevia Sector around the world.

Mr. Sourabh Agarwal, CEO of India Stevia Association also CMD of Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd. welcome the speakers Mr. Bala Prasad, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India with additional charge of National Medicinal Plants Board, Mr. Arun Chauhan, President, Amity University, Prof. Dr. S.S Agarwal  For. Professor of Pharmacology & Principal, Delhi Institute of pharmaceutical Science and Research, “DIPSAR’, Ambassador of Paraguay, His Excellency Genaro Vicente Pappalardo, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong from Vietnam, Mr. Ravi Chaudhry, Chairman, CeNext, Mr. Hugo from Paraguay, Dr. Suman Kirti, President, Delhi Diebatic Association, Mr. Gaba of All India Food Processing Association, Dr. Vijay Kaul from IHBT, CSIR, Mr. Sanjay Naphade, Vice President Innovations Pepsico India Holdings,  Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Executive Director (Planning and Coordination) The Energy and Resources Institute, Former Vice Chancellor, TERI University and many learned experts in their field of work who express there views on different aspects of stevia.

Mr. Agarwal, also welcome all stevia stake holders who came from different part of the world and from different states of India to benefit from this great event and thanked their support to this 3rd Stevia Global Summit in a row since July 2010.

The Global Sweetener market is of over $ 60 Billion with Sugar $ 50 billion, HFC’s $ 6.5 billion, and High intensity sweeteners $ 3 billion plus. Major F & B companies of the world like Pepsi and Coke have announced to reduce calories from 20% of their current marketing products, stevia have major role to play. 100’s of Stevia Sweetened Product are Launched in last 3-4 years, in more then 40 countries across 6 continents. More then 600 products had been launched in last 4 years, and now with EU approval, will see a flood of products in which stevia will be used. Indian diabetic population is looking for natural substitute like stevia with no side effects. Recently stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Because it has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets.

Every one present seems to be very concern upon the issue of delay in approval of stevia by Food Safety and Standard Authority of India ( FSSAI ). As world wide scientific researches has been done and it is establish that stevia have no negative effect on human health and approvals are given by organizations like WHO, JECFA, US FDA, EFSA, and by European Union.

Every one present in conference was astounded to understand, that “What is stopping FSSAI”, for early approval of Stevia as food ingredient.

With the approval coming in, more and more healthy products can be made available to health and calorie conscious Indian citizens with almost 70 Millions suffering at different stages of Diabetes.

Most ironically, Codex meeting held in Geneva in July 2011 have already recommended the use of stevia as food ingredients and ADI’s are also well defined. India being the member of Codex has not opposed to any of the recommendation made in Codex meeting, in respect of Stevia, but still FSSAI is not coming up with a general approval of Stevia to be used as food ingredient. Every one present expect a very early approval by FSSAI considering Codex and worldwide approvals.

It is commonly agreed that use of stevia in Indian food and beverages will not only give birth to more and more healthy products but also give immense opportunity to Indian small and marginal farmers to grow stevia in India as a cash crop and improve their economic condition, which will also attract foreign investment in building up new stevia processing units and generate employment.

Other key Issue discussed during the summit was Market Trends & Outlook for stevia natural sweetener, Stevia’s Competitiveness & Prospects in India. Stevia Supply Chain Development, Agricultural Practices for Maximum Yields, Health, Safety & Regulatory advances, issue of delay in approval of stevia to be used in India as a food ingredient,  Importance of Quality , International Standards and Certification, Status & development of extraction & purification technologies, stevia Project Finance, Investment & Funding outlook, Evaluation of Stevia v/s sugar and other High Intensity Sweeteners, Food Application – Formulation Development,  Taste & Flavor Modification, Validation of different analytical method.

Largely stevia stake holders, benefit from this event to network with high content planting material suppliers, Farmers, Technologist, Stevia processing companies, Food Ingredients developers. Formulations expert, New and innovative Stevia product developers, contract manufacturers, foreign investors in Stevia Sector, consumer product marketers, government regulatory authorities and who’s who in Stevia Industry from India and different part of the world, who attended this conference.  

Abstract of the meeting can be obtained from Mr. Sourabh Agarwal, +91 9811988880,  indiasteviaassociation@gmail.com, info@indiasteviaassociation.in, http://www.steviaglobalforum.in, http://www.indiasteviaassociation.in, http://www.steviabiotech.com

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3nd Stevia Global Summit India 2012, New Delhi a comprehensive conference on the stevia value chain, with important insights covering stevia applications in the Food & Beverage sector, Stevia Regulatory Issues, Stevia market Trends, Stevia product launches, Stevia investments and developments taking place in cultivation, it will bring together leading R&D, innovation, new product development (NPD), marketing and food safety, Quality assurance professionals to discuss, innovate, knowledge share and shape the future of Stevia industry into the new decade.