FSSAI announces steps to promote safe food culture

Aiming to create a culture of food safety in the country, regulator FSSAI on Tuesday announced a host of initiatives to promote safe food at homes, schools, offices, eateries and religious places, besides a national survey for assessing milk quality.

Commemorating the 10th anniversary of enactment of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, the 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.

“This bouquet of 10 initiatives focused on safe and nutritious food at home, school, workplace, religious places, in trains and railway stations, in restaurants and other places,” Health Ministry said in a statement.

FSSAI will 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 high fat, sugar and salt foods (commonly referred as junk food), seeking to ensure food safety and nutrition in and around schools, including lunch box and canteens.

It 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/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.