CSMT conferred with a five-star rating by the FSSAI

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) of the Central Railway has been conferred with the ‘Eat Right Station’ certification with a five-star rating by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

CSMT is the first station on Central Railways (CR) to have been given this certification.

Eat Right Station is a part of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement launched by the FSSAI and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL). It is aimed at promoting food safety and hygiene at the static catering units at railway stations.

The food quality regulator of FSSAI and HUL, along with officers of CR and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), and food auditors inspected the Food Plaza, Jan Ahaar, Base Kitchen, Retail Catering stalls and other catering establishments at the CSMT station and certified and rated the standard of food. CSMT has been judged on the basis of compliance of food safety and hygiene, availability of healthy diet, food handling during preparation, transhipment and retail/ serving point, food waste management, promotion of local and seasonal food and creating awareness on food safety and healthy diet.

After the final audit, the FSSAI awarded five-star rating with 88 per cent scope to the CSMT.

The ‘Eat Right India’ movement is built on two broad pillars of ‘Eat healthy’ and ‘Eat Safe’.

The ‘Eat Healthy’ pillar of the movement is about nudging citizens to make healthy food choices and building healthy food habits. It encourages them to choose nutritious and fortified foods in the right proportion and limit foods that are high in salt, sugar and fat.

The ‘Eat Safe’ pillar is about ensuring food safety to prevent food borne diseases. It includes maintaining hygiene and sanitation, both personal and environmental, proper waste disposal, following safe food practices and combating adulteration.

This concept has been promoted and supported by the Railways to help passengers make a healthy and the right food choice.

The food business at stations is a major attraction for passengers and CR and IRCTC have joined hands to ensure that healthy and tasty food is sold in a hygienic manner at catering units. The behavioural change in the catering staff in preparation, storage and distribution of food has been emphasised in the training given to the licensees of the catering units and this will go a long way in inculcating the culture of health and hygiene in the Railways’ food business.