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.
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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.
