3rd State Food Safety Index

In News 

• Recently, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya released the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s 3rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI).

About

• It aimed to determine the performance of States across five major parameters of Food Safety.
• The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare felicitated nine States/UTs for their impressive and splendid performance.

Major Findings 

• List of Winners:
  • In the Large State Category, Gujarat was the top-ranking state, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
  • In the Small State Category, Goa stood first followed by Meghalaya and Manipur.
  • In the Union Territories Category, Jammu & Kashmir, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and New Delhi secured top ranks.

• Parameters for ranking the States

• There are five parameters that are used as benchmarks to rank the states for the State Food Safety Index. These includes:
  • Human Resources and Institutional Data
  • Compliance
  • Food Testing Facility
  • Training and Capacity Building
  • Consumer Empowerment

About State Food Safety Index

• FSSAI has developed the State Food Safety Index to measure the performance of states on various parameters of Food Safety.  
• This index is based on the performance of State/ UT on five significant parameters, namely, Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
•  The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.

Other Initiatives of India to ensure food safety

• World Food Safety Day
  • The United Nations celebrated World Food Safety Day on June 7, 2019. 
  • The same year, India inaugurated the first-ever World Food Safety Day in the country. 
  • The aim of the day was to recognize the efforts of States, Food Businesses, and individuals in promoting food safety for human consumption.

• Food Safety on Wheels

• Food Safety on Wheels, a mobile Food Testing Vans was flagged off on the occasion of the release of the State Food Safety Index.
  •  Food Testing is an essential component in the food safety ecosystem that eventually helps build confidence in consumers by ensuring that food is safe to consume. Food Safety on Wheels adds to food testing infrastructure in the country.

• The Eat Right Research Awards and Grants to encourage and recognize high-quality research in the area of food safety and nutrition in India
• Logo for Vegan Foods for easy identification and distinction from non-vegan foods for empowering consumers to make informed food choices
• Release of various e-books that advocate and capture recipes around local seasonal food items, indigenous millets, and plant-based sources of protein.

Source: PIB