City wins first place in 'Eat Right India Challenge-2'

Implementation of FDA Act, consumer awareness, training and quality checks

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The city has secured the first rank in the State and the 28th rank at the national level in the ‘Eat Right India Challenge-2’ competition organized by the Central Government's Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The competition focuses on the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, consumer awareness, training of food professionals, and quality assurance of street food items.

The city has made significant progress since last year, where it ranked ninth in the state. The competition criteria include day-to-day enforcement activities, such as increasing the number of food licenses, food establishment inspections, routine survey and collecting samples, and conducting training activities for food professionals. Additionally, the city organized morning walks for school and college students during the food security week, workshops, and food safety on wheels activities.

The city’s success can also be attributed to achieving clean street food hub status at places like Shahnoor Miya Dargah Chowpatty and Sutgirni, as well as maintaining a clean fruit and vegetable market at Bhaji Mandai. Several canteens in the city, including those at Dr Hedgewar Hospital, Bajaj Hospital, Medicover Hospital, Skoda Company, Goodyear Company, and ISKCON Annamrita Foundation, also earned the ‘Eat Right Campus’ status, said FDA joint commissioner Ajit Maitre.

The assistant commissioner Dayanand Patil and food safety officers Nikhil Kulkarni, Sanjay Chatte, Sulakshana Jadwar, Varsha Rode, Jyotsna Jadhav, and Megha Phalke took efforts to ensure the city's success in the competition.