FSSAI REPORT ON FOOD SECURITY (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Social Issues)

Context: Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) noted that, four years after publishing a state-wise index to boost food safety, 19 out of 20 large states, including Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh, recorded a decline in their 2023 scores compared to 2019.

State food Safety Index

• Developed by: FSSAI
• 1st State Food Safety Index: Released in 2019
• Objective: The index is a benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.
• Parameters: Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
• Findings: The steepest fall in scores over five years was observed in Maharashtra, followed by Bihar and Gujarat. Ensuring food safety is the responsibility of each state's apex food safety authority.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

• Established: Under Food Safety and Standards , 2006
• Nodal Ministry: A statutory body under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare with a mandate to ensure public health at large.
• Headquarters: Delhi
• Aim: To regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.