BHUBANESWAR : Four railway stations from Odisha are among the 150 in the country that have been certified ‘eat right station’ for ensuring safe, hygienic and nutritious food options for lakhs of passengers who traverse the country’s vast railway network.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) awards certifications to railway stations adhering to quality of food and hygiene standards. The railway stations, which have been certified as ‘eat right station’ are Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack and Jharsuguda. Official sources said the stations were evaluated on water quality, cleanliness, sanitation, pest control, register maintenance and food item inspection.
Prior to the certification, all the food handlers at the designated railway stations were trained under FSSAI’s food safety training and certification (FoSTaC) programme, followed by a third party audit.
“This will ensure availability of hygienic, nutritious and safe food at railway stations. The certification guarantees the implementation of safe procedures in handling and preparing of food, encompassing catering establishments within stations, including stalls,” said a railway official.
The ‘eat right’ railway station is one of the initiatives under the Eat Right India movement led by FSSAI. Under the initiative, all food vendors on the railway station, both organised catering units, restaurants, food courts as well as small vendor kiosks/retail outlets and booths are targeted to ensure they follow safe cooking and handling practices during preparation and serving to the railway passengers, officials and staff.
“The initiative will not only benefit passengers but also empower food vendors at railway stations. By adhering to food safety and hygiene standards, they will gain credibility and attract more customers, ultimately boosting their livelihoods,” the official said.
Apart from the railway stations, 28 campuses of the state including hospitals, educational institutions, state PSUs and Aahar centres have been certified as ‘eat right campus’. The campuses include AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, Capital Hospital, Rourkela Government Hospital, SUM Hospital, Apollo Hospital, Kalinga Hospital, Care Hospitals, IIT-Bhubaneswar, IIM-Sambalpur, OMC Ltd, Krushi Bhavan, CTTC, NISER, NIT-Rourkela and Government ITI, Bhubaneswar.