FSSAI announces initiatives to promote safe food culture

NEW DELHI: With an aim to promote safe and nutritious food across the country, the food regulator is set to launch a bouquet of initiatives to improve quality of food not only at schools and eateries, but also at homes, religious places and railway stations.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is engaging with management of different religious places, and releasing guidelines to improve quality of food and ensure it is not high in fat, sugar and salt.

"Food safety is a very important health and economic issue. It has high employment potential, can boost exports of agro-products out of the country, and also provide better returns to farmers for their produce. Provisions of safe food should become a part of ingrained culture in our country," health minister JP Nadda said, commemorating the 10th anniversary of enactment of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

FSSAI said it will launch ten new initiatives that seek to connect people of all age groups for ensuring safe food through an integrated approach. The regulator has also launched a national survey for assessing milk quality.

The regulator will also provide a green book to every household and create a dedicated website for safe and nutritious food at home.

Similarly for schools, it will prepare a negative list of producrs high on fat, sugar and salt. Sale and availability of such products will be restricted in schools and their vicinity.

The regulator also plans to make licence from FSSAI compulsory for food businesses involved in mid-day meal scheme.

For offices, FSSAI said the canteens and cafeterias should be registered or licenced with the food regulator. The establishment should also ensure monthly testing of kitchens, water and equipment.

As far as religious places are concerned, FSSAI said it is engaging with the management of places of worships to help them implement the Food Safety Management System (FSMS).

Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai has already adopted FSMS, while Saibaba temple in Shirdi is in the process of doing so for their kitchens.