NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu has topped the Food Safety Index 2021-22, replacing Gujarat at the number one slot.
The states were judged on five parameters of food safety: human resources and institutional data, compliance, food testing facility, training and capacity building and consumer empowerment.
Felicitating the winners, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, “It is important to note that states have an important role in ensuring food safety and healthy food practices. It is the need of the hour that we come together to ensure a healthy nation.”
Mandaviya released the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s 4th State Food Safety Index (SFSI) on World Food Day today.
The index started in 2018-19 and was meant to create a competitive and positive change in the food safety ecosystem in the country. The step was also taken to galvanize states and union territories to work towards ensuring safe food for citizens.
Tamil Nadu had ranked third among the larger states in the 2020-21 index, while Gujarat had topped the list, and Kerala had secured the second position.
But this time round, Tamil Nadu topped the index that ranks states on food safety parameters for its people for the 2021-22, followed by Gujarat, and then Maharashtra.
Among smaller states, Goa stood first, followed by Manipur and Sikkim. Goa had stood first last year, too, in the small state's ranking.
Among Union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh secured first, second and third ranks. Last year too, Jammu and Kashmir had secured the first position, and Delhi had ranked third.
The health minister said such awards help in recognising the efforts taken by people and emphasised that nation and nutrition are deeply connected.
He also praised the crucial role played by FSSAI, a statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act,2006 (FSS Act), in ensuring healthy and nutritious food to the people.
To motivate Smart Cities to develop and execute a plan that supports a healthy, safe and sustainable food environment by adopting various Eat Right India initiatives, the minister also felicitated 11 winning intelligent cities of the EatSmart Cities Challenge.
The challenge was launched by FSSAI last year in association with the Smart Cities Mission under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).