Eat Right India Initiative

GS2 – Social Sector

Context:

With the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and concerns over food safety, FSSAI launched the Eat Right India initiative to promote health, nutrition, and sustainability—supporting POSHAN Abhiyaan and SDGs.

Pillars of Eat Right India (Launched in 2018):

1. Eat Safe:
   Ensures food safety throughout the supply chain.
2. Eat Healthy:
   Encourages balanced diets to prevent diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
3. Eat Sustainable:
   Advocates for eco-friendly food choices.

Why the Initiative is Crucial

• Alarming rise in lifestyle-related illnesses linked to unhealthy diets.
• Food safety threats—adulteration, contamination—disproportionately harm vulnerable groups.
• Rapid urbanisation and processed food consumption call for robust regulation and mass awareness.

Recent Policy Developments (2024–25)

• Stop Obesity Campaign (2025):
  Aims to cut salt and oil intake by 10%.
• Microplastics Surveillance Project:
  Collaborative effort with CSIR, ICAR, and BITS Pilani to study nano-contaminants in food.
• Whole-of-Society Ecosystem:
  Involves ministries (Health, WCD, Urban Affairs), private entities (CSR), NGOs, academia, and the public to decentralise the campaign.

Technology-Driven Governance

• FoSCoS:
  A digital platform to streamline licensing and compliance for food businesses.
• Food Safety Connect App:
  Enables real-time grievance redressal and inspection monitoring.
• Food Safety on Wheels:
  Mobile labs conducting rural food tests and awareness drives.
• Poshan Tracker & Jaivik Bharat Portal:
  Track beneficiary nutrition and promote organic food.

Way Forward

1. Strengthen Regulation & Awareness:
   Enforce hygiene ratings and campaigns like “Aaj Se Thoda Kam” (reduce salt, sugar, and fat intake).
2. Urban-Rural Linkages:
   Scale up Eat Right initiatives in Smart Cities, while integrating with rural health programs.
3. Behavioural Interventions:
   Utilise SBCC strategies for dietary change.
4. Leverage Innovation:
   Employ AI to monitor food quality, identify at-risk populations, and modernise training methods.