Context: In State Food Safety Index (SFSI), 19 out of 20 large states including Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh recorded a drop in their 2023 scores from 2019.
About State Food Safety Index (SFSI)
- Released by: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
- Released on: June 7 on the occasion of World Food Safety Day.
- 1st report: Since 2019.
- Parameters: Human resources and institutional data , compliance, food testing infrastructure, training and capacity building, and consumer empowerment. In the 2023 index, a new parameter ‘Improvement in SFSI Rank’ was added
- Objective: To foster healthy competition and catalyse positive change in the food safety ecosystem throughout the country, ultimately ensuring the provision of safe and wholesome food to all residents.
Findings of the report
- The ‘Compliance’ parameter, which was given the highest weightage of 28 per cent in 2023 (30 per cent in previous years), measures licensing and registration of food businesses, inspections conducted, special drives and camps organised, and other such compliance-related tasks carried out by each state’s food safety authority.
- The steepest fall in scores over five years was seen in Maharashtra, which scored 45 out of 100 in 2023 compared to 74 out of 100 in 2019, followed by Bihar, which scored 20.5 in 2023 compared to 46 in 2019, and Gujarat, which scored 48.5 in 2023 compared to 73 in 2019.
- Over five years, the worst drop has been recorded in the ‘Food Testing Infrastructure’ parameter.
About FSSAI:
Body: Statutory body has been established under Food Safety and Standards , 2006.It works as an independent authority and attained a special status. The FSS Act took 7 older acts into one umbrella.
- Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
- Fruit Products Order, 1955
- Meat Food Products Order, 1973
- Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947
- Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order 1998
- Solvent Extracted Oil, De- Oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967
- Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992
Nodal ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, is the Administrative Ministry for the implementation.
Headed by: Non-executive chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary.
Objective: To establish a single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards, by moving from multi- level, multi- departmental control to a single line of command.
Function:
- Framing of regulations to lay down food safety standards
- Laying down guidelines for accreditation of laboratories for food testing
- Providing scientific advice and technical support to the Central Government
- Contributing to the development of international technical standards in food
- Collecting and collating data regarding food consumption, contamination, emerging risks, etc.
- Disseminating information and promoting awareness about food safety and nutrition in India.