‘Eat Right Campus’ certification must for cafeterias of schools, offices, hospitals

Under ‘Eat Right Campus’ certification, which is a nation-wide programme, benchmarks have been created on four different parameters based on which campuses are evaluated and certified

Hyderabad: Modern working conditions have made it inevitable for the employed to have at least one meal in a day at office cafeteria, college canteen or depend on some food delivery systems for lunch. However, does that ensure that the food we eat in canteens/cafeterias in the campuses of offices, schools, hospitals and other private and government institutions is safe and healthy?

To make sure such campuses are properly equipped to serve safe and quality food, the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex food regulator in the country, is nudging institutions to go for ‘Eat Right Campus’ certification.

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Under ‘Eat Right Campus’ certification, which is a nation-wide programme, benchmarks have been created on four different parameters based on which campuses are evaluated and certified. The four parameters include food safety measures, steps to ensure provision of healthy and environmentally sustainable food and raising awareness among individuals in the campus to make the right food choices.

The food regulators have prepared a detailed checklist, outlining the best practices to be followed by the campus. These practices include mandatory steps such as licensing and registration of food service providers in the campus and compliance to food safety and hygiene standards as per Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006. It also includes steps to create sustainable eating habits like promoting local and seasonal food and limiting unhealthy food choices.

Once enrolled in this programme, a campus must undergo self-assessment or a third-party audit by an FSSAI empanelled agency, which will identify gaps and areas of improvement. Later, the management of campuses in offices, hospitals, educational institutions etc must address these gaps.

A critical step of this process includes training of food handlers in the campus through FSSAI’s Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) Programme. Once these improvements are made, the campus undergoes a third-party audit by the same FSSAI-empanelled agency and is given a rating on a five-star scale.

If a campus scores three or more stars, it is certified as an ‘Eat Right Campus’. The certification is valid for two years. In order to ensure that these best practices continue, the campus appoints a nodal person to oversee these efforts.