FOOD
SAFETY INDEX - REPORTS & INDICES
News: FSSAI Reports 15 Out Of 20 States
With Low Food Safety Standards
What's in the news?
●
Four
years after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published
a state-wise index to spur food safety improvement, 19 out of 20 large states —
including Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh — recorded a drop in
their 2023 scores from 2019.
Key takeaways:
●
After
adjusting for a new parameter included in the 2023 index, 15 out of 20 states
recorded lower 2023 scores compared to 2019.
Food Safety Index:
● The Index is an
annual assessment released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI).
● It
was started in 2018-19 and serves as
a tool to propel States and Union Territories to enhance their performance and
establish robust food safety ecosystems within their jurisdictions
● Five significant parameters,
namely, Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing –
Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer
Empowerment.
● The
Index is a dynamic quantitative and
qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for
evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.
● Ranking of the States and Union Territories in the 2022 -23 Report
○ Among the large state category: Kerala is the top-ranking state followed by
Punjab and Tamil Nadu.
○ Among the small states category:
Goa is the top-ranking state followed by Manipur, and Sikkim in the Small
States category.
○ Among the Union Territories
category: Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, and Delhi