The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently organised the Swasth Bharat Yatra, a key element of the ‘Eat Right India Movement’.
What is Eat Right India movement ?
It is multi-sectoral effort with primary focus on daily intake – of salt, sugar, fat, phasing-out trans-fats from diets and promoting healthier food options.
It is built on two broad pillars of Eat Healthy and Eat Safe.
It brings together three ongoing initiatives of FSSAI that target citizens:
The Safe and Nutritious Food (SNF) Initiative, focused on social and behavioral change around food safety and nutrition at home, school, workplace and on-the-go.
The Eat Healthy Campaign focused on daily intake – of salt, sugar, fat, phasing-out trans-fats.
Food fortification, focused on promoting five staple foods- wheat flour, rice, oil, milk and salt, with key vitamins and minerals added to improve their nutritional content.
It has seven broad areas of action | UPSC – IAS | Pib
To increase demand for healthier food by influencing each other as role models, caregivers and peers,
Set standards in schools, promote healthy eating habits and use food as a pedagogical tool,
Have appropriate consumer friendly nutrition labelling and restriction on marketing to children through a suitable regulation,
Have higher taxation for unhealthy food through differential GST rates,
Ensure availability of healthier food options and guide consumers through appropriate menu labelling,
Redesign choices available at points of sale with increased availability and prominent display of healthier options,
Encourage food processing industry to formulate their food products by reducing unhealthy ingredients.
Under the movement, “Aaj se thoda kam campaign” was launched to encourage citizens to adopt healthy food habits through social media and mass media.
