Page 42 - FMT Magazine, September 2020

Food Technology

The “New

Normal” for

Food Processing

Industry

By Sumedha Jalgaonkar*

INTRODUCTION However now and hereafter all the resumes. Employees are worried
Year 2020 started with knowing, sectors specially food processing about whether they will have
understanding and familiarization and health care sectors are going their jobs retained in coming
of new vocabulary of words like to witness tremendous impact of months and at the same time
“Pandemic”, “Quarantine”, “lockdown” COVID 19 not only from the economic business owners are worried about
and so on. Currently we are but psychological and social point whether they will be able to pay to
constantly bombarded with these of view. Famous writer Mr. Achyut employees and retain them. The
words since more than Four months. Godbole mentioned in one of his challenge for business owners is

For the first time in this generation video regarding impact of COVID how they are going to manage to
we are witnessing the “irreversible” 19 that hereafter the time will be pay to employees in a situation
and “unavoidable” impact of COVID identifi ed as BC (Before Corona) and where there is less production,
19. AC (After Corona). Such deep rooted reduced demands for processed

impact is going to happen to world foods, difficulty in supply chain
The global corona virus pandemic due to the spread of Corona virus due to transportation restrictions,

originated from the city of Wuhan in and food processing industry will difficulty in timely availability of
China has not left any part of world among top few sectors which will be raw materials and so many similar
unaffected. Nearly 180 nations are majorly impacted ones. issues. IMF (International Monetary
under threat of this deadly invisible Fund) predict overall job losses in
microorganism. News and other Here is list of few key challenges India to nearer to 200 Millions which
piece of information received from which food processing industries will have long lasting, severe impact
social media are just soul shattering across the world and particularly on everything and everyone related
and this is true for everyone right India is probably going to face. to farming. There will be situation
from people of metro cities to Food processing business owner, of “Great Depression” after the
villages and from leaders, business employees and consumers need lockdown which is predicted worse
owners to daily wager. to think about these challenges after the depression in 1930.
and way forward to deal with these
Even when it seems the world is challenges. 2. MIGRATION OF WORKERS (
coming to a standstill situation and FOOD HANDLERS):
everywhere there is lockdown across 1. UNCERTAINTY OF Food sector in India is still
the major part of the world, one thing EMPLOYMENT: dependent on manual activities
that can not and should not stop Across the food processing industry, to the great extent e. g. hotel and
or undergo lockdown is “supply of employees specially food handlers catering industry. One of the key
food”. Like they say the show must are fearful about the unemployment challenge for processing sector will
go on so that to safeguard “our lives”. post lockdown when processing be facilitation of migrant workers

Food Marketing & Technology 42 September 2020