State ranks 24th amidst NE challenges
Guwahati, Sep 26: While food safety is being given a top priority everywhere, it does not seem to be in the case of Meghalaya if one goes by the Food Safety Index report.
The State Food Safety Index( SFSI) is a unique, benchmarking model developed by India to evaluate the performance of states and union territories (UTs) on a set of well-defined criteria for food safety. Each criterion is further elaborated with detailed checkpoints. States and Union Territories are free to implement these criteria using methodologies best suited to their state.
While the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) provides policy intervention, direction and coordination at national level, States/UTs conduct food safety enforcement at the field level. Since Food safety and compliance is a crucial matter and a shared responsibility, it is pertinent to ensure coordination of state authorities (FDA) with the Centre (Food Safety & Standards Authority) for creating a nationwide transformation of the food system for safe, healthy and sustainable food.
The 2023-24 SFSI report reveals that Meghalaya has got 33 marks out of 100 and is placed 24th in the country. It is third in Northeast after Assam and Tripura.
The Index is based on performance of State/ UT on 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. These factors serve as the foundation for assessing and ranking the overall performance of States and UTs in maintaining food safety standards
In Human Resources and Institutional Data parameters, Meghalaya got 2.5 marks out of 9 marks, it got 6 marks out of 28 marks in compliance, it got 19 marks out of 28 in food testing infrastructure. In Training & Capacity Building, it got 5 out of 8 marks , it got 0.5 marks out of 8 in consumer empowerment, and did not get anu marks in improvement of state food safety rank.
In 2019-20, Meghalaya was placed third in the smaller states category, and in 20-21 it was placed third. In 22-23, Meghalaya got only 30.5 marks out of 100 in smaller states.
The 23-24 state food safety index report says several unique challenges are faced by the northeastern hilly states such as geographical, socio-economic and infrastructural conditions which lead to shortages of manpower, transportation and connectivity issues as well as infrastructural deficits. Recognizing these constraints, it has been decided to acknowledge the efforts made by the best performing state among them. This adjustment provides a more realistic benchmark for northeastern hilly states, encouraging continued progress while considering their specific regional challenges.
Despite the difficulty in availability of required manpower, transportation cost of samples, laboratory, substantial improvement has been made in Nagaland in improving Food Testing Infrastructure. NABL accreditation, FSSAI notification of state laboratories having basic as well as high end equipment, effective utilization of Food Safety on Wheels (FSWs) is being done by the State. The State has excelled in achieving the target of enforcement sampling, FoSTaC training, Eat Right Initiative, Hygiene Rating, IEC activity during FY 2023-24 and showed a significant utilization of funds sanctioned in previous years. “Overall progress is seen in improving the food safety ecosystem compared to the previous year,” it said.
