In an official statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced that Kerala has emerged as the top-performing state in the food safety index. The fifth edition of the State Food Safety Index was unveiled by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, on World Food Safety Day (June 7). The index serves as an evaluation tool to gauge the performance of states and union territories across six distinct aspects of food safety, as outlined by the ministry.
According to the statement, Kerala has secured the top ranking among the larger states, followed by Punjab and Tamil Nadu. Among the smaller states, Goa has emerged as the leader, followed by Manipur and Sikkim. Additionally, among the union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, and Chandigarh have secured the first, second, and third ranks respectively.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to Twitter to congratulate the state for the achievement. Vijayan said that the “historic achievement” by the state was thanks to the various initiatives such as the food safety grama panchayat scheme implemented in 140 panchayats and the Safe and Nutritious Food at School project carried out in 500 schools.
In a Facebook post, he mentioned that in addition to the aforementioned rankings, numerous food safety awareness classes were conducted at the state level for the general public. This initiative played a significant role in contributing to their success.
According to State Health Minister Veena George, the state has not only attained the highest position in the food safety index but also witnessed a twofold increase in revenue for its food safety department during the 2022-23 fiscal year compared to the previous financial year of 2021-22.
As per the statement, the award, which included a trophy and plaque, was conferred by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya. On behalf of Kerala, the honor was accepted by Food Safety Commissioner V R Vinod.
Dr Mandaviya announced that 2,500,000 food business operators will be trained by FSSAI in the next 3 years to ensure that food quality standards are met across the country. He also announced the setting up of 100 Food Streets across the country which meet the quality benchmark for food safety, hygiene, and nutrition. “Food quality is a part of wellness”, Dr Mandaviya said.
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