Why in news? Northeast’s mithun gets ‘food animal’ tag

Highlights:

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently recognised mithun, a semi-domesticated bovine animal, as a food animal
• Recognition paves the way for the promotion of its consumption (meat and milk) and commercial rearing in the Northeast.
• Though this animal has traditionally been a part of various food cultures among the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram, its promotion was not supported.
• M-ANITRA app was launched by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to register mithun farmers as “buyers” and “sellers” with the aim to help them do business at competitive prices.