Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) Programme, a capacity building initiative of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has crossed the 1 lakh mark of trained and certified supervisors. The programme aims to build capacities of trained food handlers across the value chain in micro, small, medium and large companies in the food sector.
In a statement, the food safety authority said that it has created a pan-India training network comprising of 169 training partners and over 1500 empanelled trainers. “Under the FoSTaC program, over 80,000 people have been trained in the organized sector and almost 18,000 people in un-organized sector including street food vendors and self-help groups till date,” the statement added.
FSSAI said that food safety is a shared responsibility and the FoSTaC programme promotes a culture of self-compliance in food businesses by making them more diligent toward food safety and hygiene in their premises through effective training of their own staff.
Pawan Agarwal, CEO , FSSAI said, “ This would definitely raise the bar for food safety and build a culture of self-compliance for food safety in food businesses in the country.” “The success of this initiative lies in the power of partnership between stakeholders across the value chain as policing through licensing & enforcement alone does not ensure food is safe for consumption,” the regulator added.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine
