The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), West Region (WR), the International Training Centre Food Safety & Applied Nutrition (ITC-FSAN), and the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on 7 June 2023 hosted the "Stakeholder Conversation on “Food Loss and Waste Management" to commemorate World Food Safety Day 2023.

The event brought together subject matter experts, researchers, and food business operators to discuss effective strategies for managing food loss and waste. Various scheme ideas were explored, and the announcement of "Youth Engagement Competitions" by FSSAI WR and ITC-FSAN on the theme of World Food Safety Day and Zero Food Waste added to the event's significance.

The Stakeholder Conversation on Food Loss and Waste Management for World Food Safety Day 2023, aimed to address the challenge of food waste management by facilitating discussions among industry stakeholders, researchers, and regulatory bodies. The event welcomed key attendees such as Michiel Van Erkel, Agriculture Counsellor for India and Sri Lanka from the embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ms Pritee Chaudhary, IRS, Regional Director of FSSAI WR, and Ms Subhaprada Nishtala, Director in-charge of ITC-FSAN. Delegates from the food catering, restaurant, and food processing industries actively participated.

Participants engaged in meaningful discussions, sharing insights and proposing ideas to combat food waste. Scheme ideas like "Only buy what you need," "Food to feed," and "Only cook what you can eat" were deliberated upon, emphasizing responsible consumption and waste reduction. Hindustan Unilever Limited and Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India)- Mumbai Chapter supported the programme. The event was well appreciated and commented for being the need of the hour and concluded with a common promise from all the participants to make a concrete contribution to consciously tackling the problem of Food Loss and Waste.

Besides this live event, ITC-FSAN, in association with the Indian Institute of Packaging, also conducted Virtual Tech Talks on “Food safety standards: the Packaging Perspective”. Aiming to disseminate the theme of ‘Food Standards Save Lives’ across masses, the event was graced by Shri. R K Mishra, IAS, Hon. Director, Indian Institute of Packaging, Dr Baburao Guduri, Joint Director, Indian Institute of Packaging-Mumbai and Ms Subhaprada Nishtala, Director in-charge of ITC-FSAN, along with other notable speakers. The event also consisted of technical sessions on food packaging safety standards from the regulatory and food safety management system perspective.