New Delhi: India’s per capita food wastage in 2022 was estimated at 55 kg per year, lower than the global average of 79 kg per capita per year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2024.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has implemented several measures to reduce food wastage, including the "Save Food Share Food" initiative, which encourages surplus food donation by businesses and caterers.

Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution B.L. Verma said that to address challenges in food redistribution, a nationwide network of surplus food distribution agencies has been created under the Indian Food Sharing Alliance (IFSA).

“A total of 82 agencies have been registered under IFSA, covering over 90 cities. A dedicated website provides a city-wise list of IFSA members and information on food waste prevention,” Verma stated.

The Centre has also advised states and Union Territories (UTs) to incorporate a chapter on food waste prevention in school syllabi to create awareness among students.

State Food Safety Index rankings
The FSSAI releases the State Food Safety Index (SFSI) annually, assessing states and UTs on food safety performance based on compliance, consumer empowerment, training, infrastructure, and surveillance.

In the latest rankings:

Kerala (63), Punjab (57.5), Tamil Nadu (56.5), Madhya Pradesh (56), Uttar Pradesh (52.5), and Gujarat (48.5) ranked among the top-performing states.

Among UTs, Jammu and Kashmir (59.5) and Delhi (49.5) emerged as leading performers.
However, the Ministry clarified that SFSI scores should not be directly compared across different years, as evaluation parameters are periodically updated.

With IANS inputs