HHS Secretary Continues Tour of India; Sees Quality-Assurance Procedures at Major Indian Spice Companies | January 9, 2008 – HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt (right) tours the Port of Cochin in Kerala State with Indian port officials. He is joined by the Commissioner of the HHS Food and Drug Administration, the Honorable Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D. (third from right), and U.S. Consul General David Hopper (fourth from right). |
January 9, 2008 – A U.S. Government delegation led by Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Michael O. Leavitt continued its five-day visit to the Republic of India on Wednesday in Cochin in Kerala State. At the Port of Cochin, India’s most strategically located port, the Chairman of the Indian Spices Board and port officials showed the U.S. visitors the port’s facilities, and the loading of shipping vessels with large containers of spices bound for the United States. Forty-six percent of the world’s spice supply comes from India. The delegation then toured Synthite Industrial Chemicals, Limited, the largest oleoresin-extraction farm in the world, which supplies ingredients to major food, fragrance and flavor houses around the globe. In addition to seeing the extraction plant, the U.S. officials visited the chemical-analysis and microbiologic-analysis laboratories that perform quality-assurance testing. Secretary Leavitt, accompanied by the Commissioner of the HHS Food and Drug Administration, the Honorable Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., also visited the AVT McCormick spice company in Cochin. Ms. Sushama Srikandath, Chief Executive Officer of AVT McCormick, provided information on raw-material sourcing, pre-purchase inward quality checks, and labeling, and showed the U.S. delegation the numerous quality-control systems of the plant. Between his visits, the Secretary hosted a luncheon with the Spices Board of India, an industry group, which is part of India's Ministry of Commerce. At each site, Secretary Leavitt expressed that quality assurance of consumer products is a major focus of President Bush and his Administration, and emphasized the need that both India and the United States pay serious attention to the safety of products that cross borders. During his visit, the Secretary is aiming to build on HHS' partnership with the Government of India on health and science, and to identify ways to enhance the quality and safety of Indian food, drugs, and medical products exported to the United States. Earlier this week, the Secretary visited the southern Indian cities of Chennai and Hyderabad. The trip is the Secretary's fourth trip to Asia since taking office at HHS, and his first to India. On Thursday and Friday, Secretary Leavitt will visit the Indian capital of New Delhi. For more information:
Last revised: January 17, 2008 | 
Print 
Download Reader 