3RD STATE FOOD SAFETY INDEX RELEASED

3RD STATE FOOD SAFETY INDEX RELEASED

Context:

Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare released the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s 3rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI) to measure the performance of States across five parameters of food safety.

About States’ Ranks:

• Among the larger states, Gujarat is the top-ranking state, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Among the smaller states, Goa stood 1st followed by Meghalaya and Manipur.
• Among UTs, Jammu & Kashmir, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and New Delhi secured top ranks.

State Food Safety Index:

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has developed the State Food Safety Index to measure the performance of states on various parameters of Food Safety. 
• It is based on the performance of the State/ UT on 5 significant parameters, namely, Human Compliance, Resources and Institutional Data, Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
• It is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.

FSSAI:

• It is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
• It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.