AMN / NEW DELHI
In an effort to galvanize States to work towards ensuring safe food for citizens, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya released Food Safety and Standards Authority of India FSSAI’s 3rd State Food Safety Index to measure the performance of States across five parameters of food safety.
The Minister felicitated nine leading States and UTs based on the ranking for the year 2020-21 for their impressive performance. This year, among the larger states, Gujarat was the top ranking state, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Among the smaller states, Goa stood first followed by Meghalaya and Manipur. Among UTs, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and New Delhi secured top ranks.
On the occasion, Mr Mandaviya flagged off 19 Mobile Food Testing Vans Food Safety on Wheels to supplement the food safety ecosystem across the country taking the total number of such mobile testing vans to 109.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mandaviya observed that food is an essential component of health in a holistic sense. He said, balanced nutrition is an integral part of Health. The Minister expressed hope that the mobile food testing laboratories will not only help functionaries in the States and UTs to enhance their outreach and conduct surveillance activities even in the far-flung areas, but will also be utilized as an effective tool for training and awareness generation activities amongst citizens.
The Minister also released the results of PAN-India survey for identifying the presence of industrially produced trans fatty acid content in the selected foods. Mr Mandaviya also launched various innovative initiatives by FSSAI including the Eat Right Research Awards and Grants to encourage and recognize high-quality research in the area of food safety and nutrition in India, a logo for Vegan Foods for easy identification and distinction from non-vegan foods for empowering consumers to make informed food choices. He also released various e-books that advocate and capture recipes around local seasonal food items, indigenous millets and plant-based sources of protein.