New Delhi, Sept 22: Public-private partnership was today sought in food safety research to help India achieve international standards for its food products.

Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Minister Kapil Sibal stressed the need to ensure the safety and international standards of food products to compete in the export market.

India's standards should be integrated to the international food chain, Mr Sibal said while inaugurating the Food Research and Analysis Centre, an autonomous body set up here by FICCI.

Emphasising that the safety of food is fundamental to India's export strategy, he said to market domestic agricultural products, more food laboratories are needed even at the district level.

''More food laboratories can be set up with public-private partnership,'' Mr Sibal said.

Today, less than 20 per cent of India's agricultural products are processed and less than five per cent are packaged food.

Mr Sibal said the biggest challenge is how to reform the agriculture sector to produce high quality of food, when the country is the second largest producer of wheat, rice, sugar, vegetables and groundnuts.

Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai said the government would help set up 100 more food laboratories in the coming year.

The government's strategy was to develop food technology to save the farming sector, Mr Sahai said.

The Food Research and Analysis Centre, an ISO 17025 certified laboratory, will conduct food analysis and research for the food processing industry.

UNI