FSSAI launches platform to use leftover food

Several food recovery partners come together to start Web-based initiative

On the occasion of World Food Day, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India introduced an initiative -- Indian Food Recovery Alliance (IFRA) – in collaboration with food recovery partners in the country to fight hunger and also prevent food wastage in India.

This Web-based platform, launched at the national Conclave on Nutrition Security - Convergence and Partnerships, allows interested donors, individuals and volunteers to register themselves to be a part of this initiative. The main platform and mobile applications will be accessible to the registered people to donate food, and the food recovery agencies will ensure proper distribution of the food..

Multiple agencies

The donors will be able to track information and status of food they will donate through their personal login. This platform will also provide guidance to citizens, food businesses and various food recovery agencies on prevention of food loss and wastage and safe recovery of surplus food.

In India, multiple food recovery agencies, such as No Food Waste, Feeding India, Indian Food Banking Network, Roti Bank, Annakshetra, Giveaway India and Robin Hood Army among others, are functional. They feed an average of over a lakh people per day in more than 70 cities.

FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said: “Wastage of food and loss is recognised as a global challenge also there is significant food loss and food waste in India.”

“This initiative is an effort to recover surplus food that is lost and wasted at various stages. Through this initiative, several food recovery agencies will be able to work uniformly towards one common goal of saving food and distributing it to the needy so that India is able to eradicate hunger problems.”

Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey released FSSAI’s report on ‘Large-Scale Food Fortification in India – The Journey So Far and Road Ahead’ at the event.

The redesigned and updated Web portal on food fortification was also launched by the Minister.