Eat Right India

The policy addressing to transform the nation's food system with the aim of promoting health eating habits, ensuring food safety system and tackling malnutrition.

Rapid increase in population and lack of information of about mindful consumption habits.

The policy is monitored by the FSSAI ( Food safety standards authority of India)

Eat Right India is a nationwide campaign launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in 2018, aimed at transforming India's food system to ensure safe, healthy, and sustainable diets for all citizens. It emphasizes a combination of safe food, healthy diets, and sustainable eating habits. Implementation in Day-to-Day Work: 1. Institutional Engagement: Eat Right Schools: Schools are key areas of implementation, where children are taught about nutrition and healthy eating through curriculum, interactive workshops, and activities like the ‘Eat Right Creativity Challenge’. Eat Right Workplaces: Companies are being encouraged to offer healthier meal options in their cafeterias, with campaigns to educate employees on balanced diets and food safety. Eat Right Campuses: Colleges, universities, and large residential complexes are also adopting the principles by ensuring food safety audits, hygiene ratings, and promoting healthy eating habits. 2. Frontline Workers: Health professionals, dietitians, and public health workers are trained to educate the population about food safety, nutrition, and sustainable eating habits through grassroots programs. 3. Awareness Campaigns: Nationwide campaigns such as the "Eat Right Mela" (food festivals), social media outreach, and educational content have been crucial in bringing the message to the public. Street food vendors and restaurants are also being encouraged to follow safe food practices. 4. Food Businesses: The food industry is required to comply with various FSSAI regulations, such as reducing trans fats, fortifying foods with essential nutrients, and displaying detailed food labels with nutritional information. They are also encouraged to reduce the use of plastics and promote eco-friendly packaging. 5. Consumer Education: Public information campaigns focus on creating awareness about the importance of balanced diets, reading food labels, reducing food waste, and consuming locally sourced, seasonal foods. Special programs like "Jaivik Bharat" (for organic food) and fortification labeling are aimed at making consumers aware of healthier options. Measurable Results: 1. Healthier Food Offerings: Reduction in trans-fat levels in industrially produced foods to below 2% (achieved in 2022) ahead of the World Health Organization’s target of 2023. 2. Food Fortification: Introduction of fortified staples (like rice, salt, wheat flour) in public distribution systems (PDS) and mid-day meal schemes across several states. This has helped tackle micronutrient deficiencies, especially in rural and underprivileged populations. 3. Certification and Ratings: The Hygiene Rating and Eat Right Certification have been widely adopted by food establishments, ensuring better hygiene and food safety standards in the industry. Over 40,000 food establishments have been rated for their hygiene levels. 4. Behavioral Change: The campaign has triggered changes in the eating behavior of urban consumers, increasing demand for healthier, safer, and cleaner food options. Citizens are becoming more conscious of their dietary choices. Desired Goals or Success Factors: 1. Reduction in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs): A major objective is to combat diet-related diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity through improved public knowledge of healthy food choices, which could decrease the burden of NCDs in India. 2. Food Safety: Ensuring safe food through increased awareness, stricter regulation of food businesses, and consumer vigilance is a key goal. The focus is also on creating a robust food testing ecosystem. 3. Sustainability: Encouraging sustainable food production, reducing food waste, and promoting a "reduce-reuse-recycle" mindset when it comes to food packaging and consumption are central aims. 4. Achieving Nutrition Security: The policy focuses on fortifying common foods with essential nutrients and ensuring nutrition security for the most vulnerable populations, especially children and pregnant women. Success Factors: Government and Industry Collaboration: The success of Eat Right India lies in the active participation of both the government and food industry players, which have worked together to implement food safety regulations and nutrition initiatives. Consumer Engagement: The campaign's success has been partly driven by consumer education and public participation through various events, social media campaigns, and grassroots movements. Targeted Interventions: The program’s focus on specific interventions like fortification and workplace nutrition programs has made it more effective at addressing public health challenges. Undesired Effects: 1. Regulatory Burdens: Smaller businesses, particularly street vendors and local food producers, may struggle to meet the stricter hygiene and food safety requirements, potentially affecting their livelihoods. 2. Resistance from Food Industry: Some sectors of the food industry, especially those producing processed foods, have resisted reforms such as trans-fat reduction and sugar content regulations. This has delayed the adoption of healthier food production practices. 3. Inequality in Implementation: The implementation of the Eat Right India policy has seen greater success in urban and affluent areas, while rural areas with limited infrastructure and lower awareness have lagged behind. 4. High Costs for Consumers: Healthier and fortified foods often come with a higher price tag, making it harder for low-income populations to afford healthier choices. This disparity has limited the impact of the program among economically disadvantaged groups.

https://eatrightindia.gov.in/index.jsp