Uttarakhand has organised a specialised training programme in Dehradun to strengthen food safety awareness and processing standards among businesses involved in millet-based products.

The programme was conducted at the Directorate of Agriculture in Nanda Ki Chowki, Premnagar, under the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) initiative. It was organised in collaboration with the Food Safety and Drug Administration, Uttarakhand, and delivered by the Academy of Management Studies, an FSSAI-listed training partner.

Millet entrepreneurs, Self-Help Group members, Farmer Producer Organisation representatives and food technology students participated in the training.

Sessions addressed food safety regulations, potential contamination hazards, personal hygiene, safe food handling, packaging and distribution practices. The objective was to help millet-based enterprises strengthen product quality and meet applicable food safety requirements.

Uttarakhand Director of Agriculture Dinesh Kumar highlighted the state's potential in the millet sector and emphasised the importance of connecting farmers, processors and markets through stronger supply chains.

Ganesh Chandra Kandwal, Deputy Commissioner of Food Safety and State Nodal Officer for Eat Right India, reported that approximately 3,350 food business operators and street food vendors have received training through 84 FoSTaC programmes across Uttarakhand. These figures refer to the wider state training programme, not solely to millet entrepreneurs.

The initiative is particularly relevant as more start-ups and women-led SHGs enter millet processing and food production. Improved hygiene, handling and packaging practices can support regulatory compliance and consumer confidence.

The programme highlights an important aspect of millet industry development: expanding cultivation and processing capacity must be accompanied by reliable food safety systems that help businesses deliver consistent, safe products.