On June 7, 2022 i.e. on the occasion of World Food Safety Day which was held on the theme ‘Safer food, better health’, the Union Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) has performed the following:
A.Released 4th State Food Safety Index (SFSI) for 2021-2022
B.Awarded the winners Eat Right Challenge for Cities and Districts 2021-2022; and EatSmart Cities Challenge 2021-2022
C.Launched logo of AyushAahar, and other initiatives
A.Release of 4th State Food Safety Index (SFSI) for 2021-2022:
The Union Health Minister released the 4th State Food Safety Index (SFSI) for 2021-2022 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
- Among larger states, Tamil Nadu (TN) was the top ranking state, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra.
- Among the smaller states, Goa stood first followed by Manipur and Sikkim
- Among UTs (Union Territories), Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), Delhi and Chandigarh secured first, second and third ranks.
Table Showing the Toppers and Least Ranker of 4th SFSI 2021-2022:
| Ranking | State | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Larger States | ||
| 1 | Tamil Nadu (TN) | 82 |
| 2 | Gujarat | 77.5 |
| 3 | Maharashtra | 70 |
| 17 (Least) | Andhra Pradesh | 26 |
| Smaller States | ||
| 1 | Goa | 56 |
| 2 | Manipur | 44 |
| 3 | Sikkim | 40 |
| 8 (Least) | Arunachal Pradesh (AR) | 21 |
| Union Territories (UTs) | ||
| 1 | Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) | 68.5 |
| 2 | Delhi | 66 |
| 3 | Chandigarh | 58 |
| 8 | Lakshadweep | 16 |
States/UTs with significant improvement in ranking:
i.Uttarakhand in Large State Category
ii.Tripura in Small States Category
iii. Ladakh in the category of UTs.
The winning States/UTs were awarded by the Union Health Minister.
B.Eat Right Challenge for Cities and Districts 2021-2022
The Union Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya also awarded the winners of Eat Right Challenge for Cities and Districts 2021-2022, which motivate cities to improve their performance under Eat Right India Movement. The top position was shared by Indore, and Varanasi.
Following table showing the top three winners:
| Rank | District/City | State | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indore | Madhya Pradesh | 79 |
| 1 | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | 79 |
| 2 | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 77 |
| 3 | Vadodara Municipal Corporation | Gujarat | 74 |
| 3 | Ujjain | Madhya Pradesh | 74 |
B.1.EatSmart Cities Challenge 2021-2022:
The Union Health Minister also felicitated 11 winning smart cities of the EatSmart Cities Challenge, launched by FSSAI in 2021-2022 in association with the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The cities are:
- Rajkot (Gujarat), Rourkela (Odisha), Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), Surat (Gujarat), Tumakuru (Karnataka), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Chandigarh, Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Jabalpur(Madhya Pradesh) , Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir), and Panaji (Goa).
- This challenge is envisioned as a competition among cities to recognize their efforts in adopting and scaling up various initiatives under Eat Right India, and to supports a healthy, safe, and sustainable food environment.
The Minister also awarded Eat Right Research Awards & Eat Right Research Institutional Awards 2021-2022. Click Here for Official List
C.Launches by Union Health Minister:
i.Various innovative initiatives by FSSAI including the Eat Right Research Awards and Grants – Phase II; Eat Right Creativity Challenge – Phase III, a competition at the school level.
ii.Logo for Ayush Aahar which contains the initials of Ayurveda and Ahara in Devanagari and English language with 5 leaves symbolising five elements of nature. This logo will be useful for generating a distinct identity, easy identification, and proven health and wellness benefits.
iii.Release of various ebooks that advocate and capture innovative recipes about oil free cooking and sugarless desserts.
iv.Launch of various resource books including Khadyanjali, a quarterly magazine published by the Rajbhasha Division of FSSAI; Guidance Document on Food Borne Disease Outbreak Investigation and Microbiological Process Control, Sampling and Testing of Fish and Fishery Products etc.
About State Food Safety Index (SFSI):
Initiated in 2018-19, SFSI measure the performance of States across five parameters of food safety which will aid in providing safe and nutritious food. It aims to create competitive and positive change in the food safety ecosystem. The Five parameters are
- Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
- The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.
Recent Related News:
i.The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the national roll-out of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) which was launched by the PM Narendra Modi in September 2021. It is the mission of MoH&FW with a budget of Rs 1600 crore for five years.
ii.Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, launched the BRICS Vaccine Research & Development (R&D) Center and Workshop on Vaccine Cooperation through a video- conference in New Delhi, Delhi.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW):
Union Minister– Mansukh Mandaviya (Rajya Sabha Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS)– Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar (Dindori, Maharashtra)