New Delhi,  Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya released Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) 4th State Food Safety Index on the occasion of World Food Safety Day on Tuesday.

Mandaviya further launched various innovative initiatives by FSSAI, including the Eat Right Research Awards and Grants - Phase II, Eat Right Creativity Challenge - Phase III, a competition at the school level and logo for Ayurveda Aahar which contains the initials of Ayurveda and Ahara with 5 leaves symbolising five elements of nature. This logo would be beneficial in creating a unique identity, easy identification and proven benefits to improve health and wellbeing.

The State Food Safety Index has been released to measure the performance of states across five parameters of food safety. The SFSI was started from 2018-19 with the aim of creating a competitive and positive change in the food safety ecosystem in the country. The index will help in providing safe and nutritious food to the people.

Speaking on the occasion, Mandaviya emphasised that nation and nutrition are deeply connected and for a Samruddh Bharat, we need a Swasthya Bharat and for a Swasthya Bharat, we need Swasthya Nagrik. He highlighted that in the last few years, healthcare has also seen a holistic development in the country.

Mandaviya further added that the government is dedicated to ensure health security for every citizen in the country and for this it is focussing on primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare fronts with various initiatives like Health and Wellness Centres and strengthening of district hospitals under the National Health Mission.

"It is important to note that states have an important role in ensuring food safety and healthy food practices. It is the need of the hour that we come together to ensure a healthy nation", he said.

To motivate Smart Cities to develop and execute a plan that supports a healthy, safe and sustainable food environment through adoption of various Eat Right India initiatives, the Health Minister also felicitated 11 winning smart cities of the EatSmart Cities Challenge, launched by FSSAI last year in association with the Smart Cities Mission under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). He also felicitated winners of the Eat Right Research Challenge for Cities and Districts and Eat Right Research Awards and Grants.

Health Minister also released various ebooks that advocate and capture innovative recipes about oil free cooking and sugarless desserts. He also launched various resource books including Khadyanjali, a quarterly magazine published by the Rajbhasha Division of FSSAI; Guidance Document on Food Borne Disease Outbreak Investigation and Microbiological Process Control, Sampling and Testing of Fish and Fishery Products etc.