The Food Safety Department has begun certifying private institutions, including colleges and hospitals in the city that have in-house canteens, as “Eat Right Campuses”.
Recently, the Madras Veterinary College Hostel and Apollo Hospitals, Greames Road, have been given such certification by the department based on the guidelines issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Veterinary college warden N. Kumaravelu said the process of certification began before the lockdown. “We had stopped using maida and providing junk food some two years ago. We had included traditional food, including sundal, in the diet. The Food Safety Department gave us tips, including not to use wooden cutting boards or layer shelves with newspapers since those attract pests. They suggested that we place a board in the mess showing how much food is wasted and after that the wastage has drastically reduced,” he said and added that college Dean K.N. Selvakumar sanctioned automation of the mess and fixing of meshes on the windows. “It has been a joint effort of students and staff that has helped us improve the mess,” he said.
Designated Food Safety Officer for Chennai A. Ramakrishnan said the certification was being done as part of the Eat Right Chennai campaign. “Under this campaign, private companies, corporates, government offices, public sector undertakings, anganwadi centres and even prisons, where food is prepared and served to people, can be certified. We have four parameters based on which the campus is evaluated,” he said. These parameters include steps to ensure provision of healthy food, environmentally sustainable practices and creating awareness among individuals on the campus of the need to make the right food choices. Any campus that has chosen to be part of the programme first does self-assessment and a third-party audit by an FSSAI-empanelled agency.
