Ernakulam (Kerala)-based All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF) organised International Spice Conference (ISC) 2025 which was held from February 24 to February 27, 2025 at Leela Bhartiya City in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- The conference aimed at leading conversations on building a resilient and responsible future for the spice sector.
- Theme of ISC 2025: ‘Building Trust Beyond Borders: Transparency, Sustainability, Conference’.
About International Spice Conference (ISC) 2025:
i.The ISC 2025 was inaugurated by Krishna M. Ella, Executive Chairman, Bharat Biotech International Limited(BBIL).
ii.Olympic Gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, who is also the founder of Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance, was the Guest of Honour during the inaugural session of the conference.
iii.During ISC 2025, Jean Mane, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mane Group of Companies was honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award, for his exceptional contributions to the global spice industry.
AISEF Signed MoU with ASTA to Enhance Collaboration in Spice Sector:
The AISEF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) during ISC 2025, to improve collaboration in the international spice trade.
- Emmanuel Nambusseril, Chairman of AISEF and Peter Sayia, President of ASTA, signed the MoU which aims to enhance food safety, regulatory compliance, and industry best practices.
Key Points:
i.This strategic collaboration between Indian and American spice trade bodies will focus on key areas such as: information sharing, technical collaboration and industry promotion.
ii.As per MoU, ASTA and AISEF will share information on government regulations, market requirements, food safety and trade policies, meetings will be held at regular intervals of time.
- Also, AISEF will get access to market updates of ASTA, and ASTA will get production-related developments from AISEF.
iii.On technical front, the collaboration will focus on improving microbiological safety, chemical containment control, traceability and ethical sourcing.
- Joint research advocacy efforts and education programs will help in enhancing compliance with global standards.
New MRL Framework for Spices in the Offing:
In February 2025, Paresh Shah, Chairman of sub-committee, Scientific Panel on Pesticide Residues, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) informed that a revised Maximum Residue Level (MRL) for spices and culinary herbs is in the offing, which is expected to help enhance market access for Indian exporters.
- He further mentioned that FSSAI has studied a new draft framework on the MRL, with the number of approved MRLs increasing from 11 to 98, after the finalization of the draft.
Points to Note:
i.Exports of Indian spices reached to USD 4.46 billion during Financial Year 2023-24 (FY24) and has registered a growth of 7.91% Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) in April-January of FY25
ii.As per Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) official data, value of spices exports stood at USD 3501.11 million during April-January FY25 compared to USD 3244.47 million recorded during the same time period of FY24.
About All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF):
Chairman- Emmanuel Nambusseril
Headquarters- Ernakulam, Kerala
Established- 1987
