IIM Kozhikode Bags FSSAI ‘Eat Right Campus’ Five-Star Certification
Kozhikode: India’s top B-School IIM Kozhikode added yet another feather to its cap by bagging a Five-Star ‘Eat Right Campus’ FSSAI certification in an event to commemorate the ‘World Food Safety Day’, held recently at the Campus. Shri. Vinod Kumar K, Asst. Commissioner of Food Safety, Kozhikode, presented the ‘EAT RIGHT CAMPUS’ certificate to Lt. Col M Julius George (Retd), Chief Administrative Officer, IIM Kozhikode. The ‘EAT RIGHT CAMPUS’ programme is an initiative by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) which aims to promote safe, healthy and sustainable food in campuses such as schools, universities, colleges, workplaces, hospitals, tea estates etc. across the country.
Expressing his delight over the highest FSSAI certification under this initiatve, Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director IIMK shared “A healthy mind resides in a healthy body! IIM Kozhikode as an Institute strives for providing a holistic learning environment to every individual student. FSSAI’s five-star rating for IIMK based on global benchmarks in food safety and administration is a testimony to the institute’s endeavor in creating an environment of safe, healthy and sustainable eating habits which are in consonance with IIMK’s guiding principles of Satyam (authenticity) nityam (sustainability) and purnam (fulfillment). ”
IIM Kozhikode also commemorated the day with two seminars on ‘International Millet Year an overview’ and ‘Food habits and Food Safety’ conducted for the food handlers in the campus. A stall was also set up in the campus for displaying and selling the millets and millet based products to spread the importance on millets in daily diet.
The ‘World Food Safety Day’ is commemorated to draw global attention to the consequences of contaminated food and water to health. This day also focuses on the way to reduce the risk of food poisoning. Safety of food is key to achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Accordingly, WHO has opted the theme of this year celebrations as “Food Standards Save Lives”. This theme re-emphasizes the fact that food standards are essential to safeguard lives and reduce the risk of food contamination.
FSSAI is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Under this ‘Eat Right Campus’ programme initiative of theirs, pre-defined benchmarks have been created on four different parameters based on which a campus is evaluated and certified as an ‘Eat Right Campus’. These parameters include food safety measures, steps to ensure provision of healthy food, environmentally sustainable food practices and building awareness among the individuals in the campus to make the right food choices. The objective is to improve the health of people and the planet and promote social and economic development of the nation. Indian Institute Management Kozhikode has been certified as ‘EAT RIGHT CAMPUS’ by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) with a rating of FIVE STARS( Score 85% and above). Once enrolled in this programme, a campus first undergoes a self-assessment or a third-party audit by an FSSAI-empaneled agency based on all four parameters in the checklist – Safe Food, Healthy Food, Sustainable Food and Building Awareness.