Students from Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu get lessons on food safety in Mysuru

Over 200 students attend the day-long initiative and watched the demonstrations from scientists on food safety and detection of adulterants

A demonstration was undertaken at CSIR-CFTRI in Mysuru on the occasion of World Food Safety Day, for the benefit of the students. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, observed World Food Safety Day by organising interactions and demonstrations for the benefit of students.

The theme of World Food Safety Day-2024 is ‘Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected’. This year’s theme emphasises the significance of being ready for food safety incidents, regardless of their severity, the institute said.

World Food Safety Day was announced by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018. It was first celebrated on June 7, 2019. The day aims to raise awareness about the importance of food safety and to encourage actions that help prevent, detect, and manage food-borne risks, it stated.

In view of this, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, which is a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, observed the day on its campus recently.

Parvatham Giridhar, Chief Scientist and Head, Food Safety and Analytical Quality Control Laboratory (FSAQCL), CFTRI, provided insightful details about the purpose and significance of observing World Food Safety Day, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the safety of the food supply.

Rajeshwar S. Matche, Chief Scientist and Head, Food Packaging Technology Department, inaugurated the event and addressed the gathering on the importance of World Food Safety Day 2024, its benefits to the society, highlighting the essential role of students in promoting awareness of the day. He encouraged active student participation in safeguarding food safety for all.

Arrangements were made in the Department of Food Safety and Analytical Quality Control Laboratory of CSIR-CFTRI under the supervision of Dr. Giridhar. The students were told about the two important aspects of food safety - “Food Safety is Everyone’s Business” and “Food Safety is a Shared Responsibility”. Scientists, technologists, scholars and research students of the Department organised the demonstration on the detection of adulterants in edible oils, spice products, sweets, milk, honey etc.

The analytical instruments used by food safety laboratories were exhibited during the programme. Demonstration on food hygiene and microbial safety was also arranged.

Posters on food regulation, food labelling and nutritional labelling, food addition and contaminants were also exhibited. More than 200 students from various colleges participated in the programme which included the students from Government PU College, Vontikoppal, Mysuru, Master in Public Health postgraduate students from School of Public Health, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru and UG and PG students from Department of Biotechnology, Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women (Autonomous), Bengaluru, Dr. NGP Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, and Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission Students, Gujarat. The students were provided with participation certificates.