Goa becomes the First State to initiate Food Safety Measures launched by FSSAI

October 25, 2016: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has collaborated with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Goa unit to make Goa the first state to adopt five food safety initiatives launched by FSSAI.

FSSAI has asked each state to volunteer for the initiatives that they would like to launch to make food safe. Goa picked Safe and Nutritious (SNF) food at home, schools and workplaces. These initiatives will be launched at the National level in October 2017 and all the initiatives integrate with the existing government schemes, mentioned TOI report.

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According to TOI, Goa was the first state to be selected as it was in good in terms of healthcare. FSSAI is going to make efforts to make Goa as a model state as far as the safe and nutritious food is concerned. There are agencies in the country that take care of the exported testing products. These issues are needed to be addressed. The FSSAI is persuading the states to supply fortified food.

A negative list of products with high content of fat and salty foods was prepared to ensure food safety in schools, including lunch box and canteens. FSSAI has launched the 'green book', to promote safe food habits at home and created a website dedicated to nutritious and safe food at home.

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Director of FDA, Salim Veljee announced that the state will be working on improving food safety standards, targeting homes, schools and workplaces.

"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 to TOI.

Removing junk items and promoting healthy food would be the prime focus, under the initiatives. The program will include a third party monitoring system and certificates will be given to the schools according to the ratings they receive. The model cafes will be constructed in certain workplaces and the food handlers will be trained by master trainers. A third party auditing will be conducted and a rating system will be introduced.

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"We will also be launching 'connect to citizens' initiatives to take the food safety habits directly to the citizens. The state-funded food testing laboratories will also get a major overhaul under the five initiatives," said FSSAI CEO, Pawan Agarwal.

Deputy Chief Minister, Francis D'Souza, said," The government will be working to improve the hygiene conditions in the state, by getting the FDA officials and selected chefs in the state to be trained as supervisors."

– Prepared by Diksha Arya of NewsGram. Twitter: @diksha_arya53