Kerala has once again secured the tops State Food Safety Index 2024 for Second Year in a Row in the State Food Safety Index (SFSI) 2024, making it the second consecutive year that the state has achieved this honor. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released the report during the inaugural session of the FSSAI Global Food Regulators Summit 2024. Kerala’s continued efforts to improve food safety standards have helped it retain the first place in the index.
What is the Kerala Tops State Food Safety Index 2024?
The State Food Safety Index is an annual ranking started by the FSSAI in 2018-19. It aims to improve food safety across the country by encouraging states to follow the best practices. The index is designed to ensure that all citizens have access to safe and nutritious food.
How the SFSI Ranks States
The SFSI ranks states based on their performance in five areas:
- Human Resources and Institutional Data
- Compliance
- Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance
- Training and Capacity Building
- Consumer Empowerment
In 2023, a new factor was added, called “Improvement in SFSI Rank,” to track progress made by the states over the years.
Top Performers in the SFSI 2024
The states are ranked in three categories: large states, small states, and Union Territories. Here are the top performers:
| Rank | Category | State |
| 1 | Large States | Kerala |
| 2 | Large States | Tamil Nadu |
| 3 | Small States | Nagaland |
| 4 | Union Territories | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 5 | Large States | Gujarat |
Kerala’s Efforts in Food Safety
Kerala’s achievement in the SFSI 2024 is due to various steps taken by the state. Kerala has improved its food-testing infrastructure and surpassed its inspection targets for FY24. The state has also conducted special programs to increase the number of licensed food businesses.
Remarks by the Union Health Minister
At the event, the Union Health Minister said that FSSAI is working to align Indian food safety standards with global standards, such as the Codex Alimentarius. He also highlighted the need for a flexible food safety framework to adapt to new food trends, like plant-based proteins and lab-grown meat.
Related Events and New Initiatives
During the summit, FSSAI launched two important platforms:
- Food Import Rejection Alerts (FIRA) – A portal that informs the public about food import rejections.
Food Import Clearance System 2.0 (FICS 2.0) – An upgraded system to streamline food import processes and improve transparency.
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FAQs
The SFSI is an annual ranking system by FSSAI to assess food safety standards across Indian states and Union Territories.
Kerala secured first place because of its strong food-testing system, surpassing inspection targets, and increasing food business registrations.
Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, and Jammu and Kashmir also performed well, securing top ranks in their respective categories.
FSSAI introduced the Food Import Rejection Alerts (FIRA) and Food Import Clearance System 2.0 (FICS 2.0) to improve food safety transparency.
FSSAI aims to align Indian food safety standards with global benchmarks and adapt regulations to modern food trends.
