Behind India's food reform movement: A look at the Eat Right India strategy

India Today

19-07-2025

India's top food safety and nutrition movement, Eat Right India, is making progress in improving the country's food environment.Launched in 2018 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the initiative promotes safe, healthy, and sustainable food for all. Now in its seventh year, the campaign has trained over 12 lakh food handlers and repurposed 55 lakh litres of used cooking oil, of which 39 lakh litres have been converted into biodiesel.advertisementPrime Minister Narendra Modi earlier praised the movement during his Mann Ki Baat address on June 29, calling on citizens to reduce oil in their diets and embrace healthy eating habits.
"Reduce oil in food by 10%, reduce excess weight. When you are fit, you will be superhit in your life," he said, underlining the need for public participation in tackling obesity and other lifestyle diseases.INDIA'S CHANGING FOOD LANDSCAPEModern lifestyles and urbanisation have led to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in India.At the same time, concerns around food safety, from chemical residues to unhygienic cooking practices, have become more pressing.Eat Right India was designed as a response to these challenges, aiming to make both food safety and nutrition a public health priority.The movement works across three pillars: improving food safety standards, educating consumers, and promoting environmentally sustainable practices.CERTIFIED STATIONS AND CLEAN FOOD HUBSAs of July 6, 2025, India has 284 certified Eat Right Stations at railway hubs and 249 Clean Street Food Hubs where vendors have been trained to maintain hygiene and serve safe food.Initiatives like FoSTaC (Food Safety Training and Certification) are ensuring that street vendors, restaurant workers, and other food handlers are equipped with proper knowledge of food safety standards.Campaigns like 'Aaj Se Thoda Kam' encourage the public to cut down on salt, sugar, and oil. Meanwhile, Trans Fat-Free India is working to eliminate harmful industrial fats from processed foods.EAT RIGHT CAMPUSES IN OFFICES AND SCHOOLSFrom Eat Right Campuses in offices and hospitals to Eat Right Schools that include nutrition in the curriculum, the campaign is bringing healthier food practices to everyday spaces.Even places of worship and fruit and vegetable markets are being certified under the programme.FSSAI is also pushing sustainability, urging businesses to cut down on single-use plastics and manage food waste responsibly. One of the major successes has been the RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) initiative, where used oil from restaurants is collected and turned into biodiesel.GLOBAL RECOGNITIONThe campaign has earned international praise, winning the Rockefeller Foundation's Food Systems Vision Prize in 2021 and being recognised by the World Health Organisation as a global best practice for reducing trans fats.advertisementWith strong support from government bodies, private businesses, NGOs, and citizen groups, Eat Right India could make nutritious, safe, and eco-friendly food a reality for every Indian.- Ends