State Food Safety Index (SFSI) 2023

By Amigos IAS

Why is it in the news?

  • The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) just unveiled the SFSI for 2023.
  • This annual index, introduced in 2019 and announced every June 7th on World Food Safety Day, serves as a barometer to gauge the performance of Indian states in ensuring food safety.
About FSSAI

·       Emerged from the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

·       Under the aegis of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

·       Aims to establish scientific standards for food items and oversees their production, storage, distribution, sale, and import to safeguard the health of the populace.

 

Understanding the Index

Evaluate state-level performance on food safety parameters which include:

  • Human Resources & Institutional Data
  • Compliance
  • Food Testing – Infrastructure & Surveillance
  • Training & Capacity Building
  • Consumer Empowerment
  • New Addition (2023): ‘Improvement in SFSI Rank’, assessing the progress from the previous year’s ranking.

Classification:

  • Large States: For broader regions.
  • Small States: For compact areas.
  • Union Territories (UTs): For federally administered regions.

Key Takeaways

  • Large States: Kerala shines at the top, with Punjab and Tamil Nadu following suit.
  • Small States: Goa, continuing its winning streak for the fourth consecutive year, leads, with Manipur and Sikkim trailing.
  • UTs: Jammu and Kashmir take the crown, with Delhi and Chandigarh in second and third places respectively.

Concerning Trends

  • A disheartening dip was observed in 19 out of 20 large states from their 2019 scores, including Maharashtra, Bihar, and Gujarat.
  • A significant downturn was particularly noted in the ‘Food Testing Infrastructure’ parameter.
  • These declining trends sound alarms regarding the nation’s nutritional trajectory.

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