Food Safety Index 2021-22: Assam ranks at the bottom among large states in the most important food safety parameter of FSSAI

Assam ranks at the bottom position among all large states of India in respect of “compliance”- the most important parameter of Food Safety Index. The index rankings of the 4th Food Safety Index of the country for the year 2021-22, compiled by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) show that Assam has the lowest score of 10 in this parameter against 21 scored by top-ranking Tamil Nadu.

The FSSAI released the 4th State Food Safety Index 2021-2022 on June 7, 2022 on the occasion of World Food Safety (Safer food, better health) Day.

The state also ranked the lowest in this parameter among all major states in 2020-21 with a score of 8.

The FSSAI describes “compliance” as “the most important parameter and measures overall coverage of food businesses in licensing & registration commensurate with size and population of the State /UTs, special drives and camps organized, yearly increase, promptness and effectiveness in issue of state licenses/ registrations.” 

Also, this parameter considers the inspections carried out for high-risk food businesses through Food Safety Compliance through Regular Inspections (FoSCoRIS) and the number of samples drawn for testing, it states.

“Promptness in attending to the consumer grievances and availability of help desk and web portals are also examined under this parameter,” adds the Report on Food Safety Index 2021-22.

It ranks second from below in a number of categories including human resources institutional data, consumer empowerment and training and capacity building and fourth from below in food testing and surveillances.

The FASAI state-wise Food Safety Index covers five different parameters- (1) human resources institutional data with 20 per centage weightage, (2)compliance, with 30 per centage weightage (3) consumer empowerment with 20 per centage weightage, (4) training and capacity building and with 10 per centage weightage, and (5) food testing and surveillances with 20 per centage weightage.

In respect of the parameter “human resources and institutional data” Assam has scored only 2.5. Tamil Nadu tops the list with a score of 16.5, Uttar Pradesh ranks second with a score of 16, while West Bengal ranks third with a score of 15.5 in this parameter.

The objective of incorporating human resources institutional data, according to FASAI, is to “check availability of strong culture and ecosystem of enforcement commensurate with the size and population of the State/UT as well as participation of other departments and stakeholders in food safety activity at State and district levels.”

This parameter measures the availability of human resources like “number of Food Safety Officers, Designated Officers, facility of adjudications and appellate tribunals, functioning of State/ District level Steering Committees, pendency of cases and their monitoring and participation in Central Advisory Committee meetings of the Food Authority,” it further states.

In consumer empowerment parameter, the Assam’s score is 2.5 and only Chhattisgarh is left behind Assam with a total score of 1.5. Tamil Nadu and Gujrat have jointly topped the list in this parameter with a score of 17.

The consumer empowerment parameter, according to FSSAI, includes different consumer empowering initiatives like participation in “Food Fortification, Eat right Campus, BHOG (Blissful Hygienic Offering to God), Hygiene Rating of Restaurants, Clean Street Food Hubs, etc.”

Further, initiatives like “action taken for coverage of food fortification in open market, government safety net programmes and availability of fortified products in all districts are taken into consideration”, it states. State initiated activities for creating consumer awareness are also considered, according to FSSAI.

In training and capacity building, Assam’s score is 5 while Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have jointly topped the list with a score of 10.

However, with a score of 15, Assam ranks fourth in food testing and surveillances category. In this parameter Gujrat tops the list with a score of 18.

With an overall food safety score of 35, Assam ranks fourth from the bottom among all large states. Tamil Nadu tops the list of 4th Food Safety Index with a total score of 82 followed by Gujarat with 77.5 and Maharastra ranked at the third from the top with overall score of 70.

Other northeastern states have been listed in the category of “small states”. Assam also lagged behind several northeastern states with Manipur scoring 44, Sikkim 40, Tripura with 38.5, Meghalaya with 38 and Nagaland with 36. Two other north-eastern states Mizoram scores an index of 22.5, while for Arunachal Pradesh the index is 21.

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