FSSAI not too long ago unveiled the fifth version of its SFSI and highlighted Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu (giant states), Goa, Manipur and Sikkim (small states) and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh (Union Territories/UTs) to emerge as the highest performers amongst all of the 28 states and eight UTs within the nation.
“The SFSI evaluates the efficiency of states and union territories throughout six totally different elements of meals security [and] goals to foster wholesome competitors and catalyze optimistic change within the meals security ecosystem all through the nation, in the end guaranteeing the supply of protected and healthful meals to all residents,” FSSAI acknowledged through a proper assertion.
“Union Minister for Well being and Household Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has felicitated (sic) the winners based mostly on their rankings for the 12 months 2022-23 [and] counseled states that demonstrated important enchancment of their State Meals Security Index scores.”
The Indian states are grouped based on giant states (20 in whole) and small states (eight in whole) in addition to UTs (eight in whole), and the six standards of analysis are: 1) Human Assets and Institutional Information (18 marks), 2) Compliance (28 marks), 3) Meals Testing Infrastructure (17 marks), 4) Coaching and Capability Constructing (8 marks), 5) Shopper Empowerment (19 marks) and 6) Enchancment in SFSI Rank (10 marks).
Whereas the report reveals there have been undoubtedly enhancements made by way of varied SFSI rankings – which a big portion of the report centered on – the information additionally reveals that scoring is usually low throughout the board. That is particularly the case in what can be thought-about crucial standards corresponding to compliance – even amongst lots of the high scorers.
Of the whole 100 marks given for judging, nobody state or UT scored above 60 marks, with high performer Kashmir coming in at 59.5 adopted by Punjab at 57.5.
As an illustration, for the big state winners Punjab was the very best scorer in compliance at simply 18 marks out of 28; for small state winners Manipur scored highest at simply 14 marks and for UTs Kashmir scored 16 marks.
Much more regarding was that many low scores in compliance additionally emerged amongst these high scorers, corresponding to Goa which solely scored 9 marks and Tamil Nadu which scored simply 12 marks.
Moreover, far poorer performances had been discovered amongst people who fell beneath these rankings corresponding to simply three marks (Lakshadweep), 4 marks (Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Puducherry), 5 marks (Assam, Nagaland) and 7 marks (Telangana, Tripura) out of 28 marks whole.
It is a troubling discovering attributable to the truth that compliance to meals security measures is important to maintaining the meals provide in India protected for consumption, as the federal government has typically confused, to make sure the well being of the inhabitants.
Behind the Compliance criterion which took up the most important share of 28 marks was Shopper Empowerment which took up 19 marks.
The efficiency right here was considerably higher amongst the bigger states with Kerala scoring 16 of 19 marks, Tamil Nadu scoring 17 and Punjab scoring 13; however this was much less so within the smaller states with Goa scoring 13, Manipur 11 and Sikkim simply 10 marks.
The scores had been nonetheless fairly dismal for different states not within the high rankings – out of 19 marks, these reached as little as one (Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram), two (Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Puducherry) and three (Himachal Pradesh, Odisha).
Lakshadweep UT even scored zero for this explicit criterion in addition to a number of ohers, along with simply three factors out of 28 for compliance and one level out of 18 for human assets and information.
As such, this represents a dire lack of shopper empowerment within the nation general with regard to manage over the security of their meals provide, which in flip represents greater danger to public well being.
Credit score the place due
That mentioned, the institution of the SFSI is a laudable thought on the a part of FSSAI to stimulate competitors and guarantee states take meals security enhancements severely.
That mentioned, it could be prudent for FSSAI to commit extra time and assets to make sure meals and beverage companies throughout the nation are held extra accountable for complying with meals security requirements.
