The Tiruchi Central Prison, Bharathidsan University, K.A.P.Viswanatham Government Medical College and its hospital and eight Anganwadis in the district have obtained Eat Right Campus certification from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The Central Prison kitchen serves food to about 1,300 inmates every day. The prison has obtained the certification with five star rating, while the others have been given four and three star ratings. The food items from the kitchen are also made available to the public through the Food Court at the Prison Bazaar. The mess of the K.A.P.Viswanatham Government Medical College and its hospital and Bharathidasan University, catering to students and patients, have also obtained the certification.
The Eat Right Campus initiative of FSSAI aims at promoting safe, healthy and sustainable food in campuses such as schools, colleges, universities, institutions, hospitals, jails and other work places for the benefit of people who spend the majority of their time in these campuses.
Benchmarks have been created on various parameters based on which campuses are evaluated and certified as Eat Right Campus. Food safety measures, steps to ensure provision of healthy and environmentally sustainable food and building awareness among the individuals in the campus to make the right food choices are among the parameters.
Institutions, which go in for the certification, undergo a third-party audit by an FSSAI empanelled agency, which identifies gaps and areas of improvement. Once the issues are addressed, the agency, along with the Food Safety officers, conducts post- audit before the certification is given, R.Ramesh Babu, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Drug Administration, Tiruchi, said. Hygiene and cleanliness are among the key parameters. Samples of food and drinking water were tested before the certification is issued, he added.
On Tuesday, M.Senthilkumar, Superintendent, Tiruchi Central Prison, received the certificate from Collector S.Sivarasu. Representatives of the other institutions also received the certificates.
The Collector also handed BHOG (Blissful Hygienic Offering to God) certificates to nine more temples in the district and hygiene rating certificates to 15 hotels. Dr.Ramesh Babu said that already 19 temples, which serve annadhanams, have been certified in the district after undergoing similar audits carried out under the Eat Right Campus initiative.
The Collector also handed over food safety training certification (FOSTAC) to 74 vendors operating at the Uzhavar Sandhai at Thennur in Tiruchi.
