Conformity Assessment Scheme: Relevance
- GS 3: Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
Conformity Assessment Scheme: Context
- Recently, the Prime Minister has launched a portal and logo dedicated to the Conformity Assessment Scheme of milk products.
Conformity Assessment Scheme: Key points
- This is a novel and first of its kind certification scheme considering the perishable nature and short shelf-life of milk and milk products, as well as the extensive cold-chain involved in the production and supply of milk and milk products.
- This has brought ‘Product–Food Safety Management System–Process’ certification under one umbrella with a unified logo featuring the earlier respective logos BIS-ISI mark & NDDB-Quality Mark and Kamdhenu Cow.
- Portal and logo have been developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) with the help of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
Pic. Conformity Assessment Scheme logo
Conformity Assessment Scheme: Why needed?
- There was no unification of product and process certification that was making it difficult to dairy plants to avail end to end certification.
- NDDB has been awarding ‘Quality Mark’ to the dairy plants of cooperatives adhering to the process standards across the dairy value chain helping in building the brand identity for cooperative dairies and enhanced consumer confidence.
- On the other hand, BIS has a product certification scheme for manufacturers, including dairy product processors which also ensured food safety at product level allowing licensees to use ‘ISI Mark’ on their products.
- Moreover, the consumer awareness was also lacking towards quality of milk and products.
Conformity Assessment Scheme: Benefits of the scheme
- Simplify the certification process
- Create an instantly recognisable logo for public to be reassured about dairy product quality
- Increase the sales of milk and milk products in organized sector and in turn enhancing income of farmers
- Develop a quality culture in the dairy sector.
About NDDB
- National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) is a statutory body set up under National Dairy Development Board Act, 1987.
- It was created by Dr. Verghese Kurein and NDDB headquarter is located in Anand, Gujarat.
- It was created to promote, finance and support producer-owned and controlled organisations.
- NDDB’s programmes and activities seek to strengthen farmer owned institutions and support national policies that are favourable to the growth of such institutions.
- NDDB’s efforts transformed India’s rural economy by making dairying a viable and profitable economic activity for millions of milk producers while addressing the country’s need for self-sufficiency in milk production.
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