Food safety index

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has launched the Food Safety Index for the year 2019-20 on 07 June 2020.  Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have topped the rankings in this ranking.  This is the second index on food security.

 The Food Safety Index is a kind of meter, which shows how effective the steps are being taken by the government or administration for food safety in the city.  Chandigarh has done a very good job in this area.  This year, many steps have been taken regarding food safety in City Beautiful.

 Goa ranks first among small states

 The authority said that Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have topped the list of big states in the index.  Goa ranks first among small states.  It is followed by Manipur and Meghalaya.  Among the union territories, Chandigarh, Delhi and Andaman Islands have topped.

 Food safety prepared on five standards

 In this index, states are ranked on the parameters of five standards of food safety 'human resource and institutional data, compliance, food testing facilities, training, capacity building and consumer empowerment'.

 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has instituted the 'Eat Right Award' to recognize the contribution of food companies and individuals, to empower citizens to make safe and healthier food choices.

 What did Health Minister Harsh Vardhan say?

 FSSAI released it on the occasion of World Food Security Day with the theme 'Food safety is the subject of all'.  Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a webinar that food security is a shared responsibility.

 About food safety index

 World Food Security Day is celebrated every year on 7 June.  The day was first announced to be celebrated by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018 in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization.  The reason behind celebrating this day was to make people aware of food safety.

 The government has released the Model Contract Farming and Services Act, 2018, in which for the first time the farmers of the country and agro-based industries have been linked.  According to the report of the Food and Agriculture Organization, about 14.8 percent of India's population is malnourished.

 What is food crisis?

 Food crisis is defined as irregular access to nutritious and adequate food in the absence of money or other resources.  People have to face starvation during the food crisis.

 The background

 Among the challenges that India faces during the transition to COVID-19 (COVID-19), food security is one of the most prominent challenges.  Rapidly increasing population, rising food prices and the threat of climate change are challenges that need to be dealt with on a war footing.