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Source: This post is based on the article “In FSSAI index, nearly all major states slip on food safety compared to 2019” published in “ Indian Express” on 1st November 2023.
Why in the News?
Recently Food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) published its fifth consecutive State Food Safety Index. This index is used to measure the performance of states across various parameters of food safety.
What is state food safety index? What is new parameter?
It is an index developed by FSSAI. It helps to measure to performance of states on five significant parameters of food safety. These include compliance, Human resources and institutional data, Food testing- infrastructure and surveillance, training & capacity building and consumer empowerment.
A new parameter is included in 2023 index “Improvement in SFSI rank”. The index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all states/ UTs.
What is the parameter wise performance of large states ?
| Parameter | Top performers | Worst performers |
| Consumer empowerment | Tamil Nadu ,Kerala, Madhya Pradesh | Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh |
| Human resource and institutional data | West Bengal, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu | Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand |
| Food testing infrastructure | Gujarat, Kerala, west Bengal | Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra ,Bihar |
| Training and capacity building | Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh | Assam, Haryana ,Rajasthan |
| Compliance | Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh | Jharkhand, Assam, Telangana |
Key findings of the State food safety index
(1) After adjusting for a new parameter included in the 2023 index, 15 out of 20 states recorded lower 2023 scores compared to 2019.
(2) 19 out of 20 large states — including Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh — recorded a drop in their 2023 scores from 2019.
(3) The worst drop has been recorded in the ‘Food Testing Infrastructure’ parameter, where the average score for all large states dropped to 7 points out of 17 in 2023 from 13 points out of 20 in 2019.
(4) The only parameter which recorded significant improvement was ‘Training and Capacity Building’, which was given the least weightage of 8 per cent in 2023 (10 per cent in previous years).
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