Key Update 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) organised a Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme last week at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi. The initiative aimed to improve hygiene and safety practices in the institute’s hostels and canteens. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Council of Wardens inaugurated the programme.

Training Focuses on Safe Practices

Empanelled FoSTaC trainer Rakesh Kumar Singh led the session, which saw active participation from all mess and canteen operators along with their managers. The training covered essential practices to ensure standardised food safety measures in daily operations. Participants noted that the session would help them strengthen compliance and reduce risks of contamination.

Multi-Layered Monitoring at IIT (BHU)

Prof. R.K. Singh, Chairman of the Council of Wardens, highlighted that all IIT (BHU) mess facilities already carry FSSAI certification. He said regular training would continue to reinforce food safety standards. The institute follows a multi-layered monitoring system: a mess and canteen committee conducts inspections, wardens oversee compliance, and a student inspection team reviews food quality from the users’ perspective. Staff members must wear gloves, caps, and aprons, and only FSSAI-approved and ISI-marked food materials are used. Non-compliance attracts strict disciplinary action.

Ensuring Student Health

By combining training, certification, and strict monitoring, IIT (BHU) seeks to provide students with safe, hygienic, and nutritious meals. The initiative reflects FSSAI’s wider efforts to embed food safety culture in institutional settings across India.

Source: The Times of India