The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) held its 45th Central Advisory Committee meeting, where it asked states and union territories to increase monitoring of food safety at popular tourist destinations.
States & UT to use Food Safety on Wheels Mobile Labs
This move aims to ensure high safety standards during the peak tourist season from November to March. Considering the large number of domestic and international tourists at popular spots during the season, states and union territories were advised to use Food Safety on Wheels Mobile Labs at these tourist locations.
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According to ET Hospitality, G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of FSSAI, requested food commissioners from different states to increase surveillance on warehouses and other facilities used by e-commerce platforms. He also asked for standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be created for these warehouses and their delivery personnel.
FASSAI to train Food Business Operators via FoSTaC
Meanwhile, the committee is pushing for better food safety and hygiene across India. To achieve this, they’re focusing on training Food Business Operators (FBOs) in all states and union territories through the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) program. The goal is to train 2.5 million food handlers by March 2026, including those working in university, college, and hostel canteens.
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Furthermore, the need for a unified food safety approach was highlighted. All related ministries and stakeholders were urged to work together and states and union territories were encouraged to hold advisory committee meetings regularly at state and district levels. The meeting also stressed the importance of involving consumers in promoting healthier eating habits as part of the Eat Right India movement. States were advised to increase food safety awareness through activities like fairs, walkathons, and street plays (Nukkad Nataks).
More than 60 officials attended the FSSAI meeting, representing various groups such as food safety commissioners, state and union territory representatives, senior FSSAI officials, and members from the food industry, consumer organisations, agriculture sector, laboratories, and research institutions.
