The FSSAI Experience Zone - A Walkthrough of India’s Food Safety Ecosystem

New Delhi, Tues 16, 2018: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) today inaugurated a one-of-its-kind Experience Zone that landscapes India’s food safety ecosystem. Using technologies like virtual and augmented reality, it captures the journey of food safety regulation from its earlier narrow focus on adulteration to a more holistic approach of ensuring safe and wholesome food for all 1.32 billion citizens. The 360-degree experience zone reflects how FSSAI has made a shift in its role from just an ‘enforcer’ to an ‘enabler’. Through interactive exhibits, visitors will experience the complexity of the food value chain, see the systems and processes in place and appreciate how FSSAI is nurturing partnerships between the regulator, food businesses and citizens. It instils confidence in the consumers that FSSAI is at the forefront of food safety in India.

Created in partnership with Tata Trusts, the Experience Zone is testimony to how food safety has to be a shared responsibility of all stakeholders. It provides visitors a chance to witness the systems and processes that back the FSSAI logo, which has now become a household symbol. Located on the fifth Floor of FDA Bhawan, FSSAI’s headquarters in New Delhi, the Experience Zone celebrates how a responsible regulator, responsible food businesses and responsible citizens can ensure food safety until the last mile.

Through three display arenas, The Experience Zone provides a holistic view of FSSAI’s work. Miss and Master Sehat, mascots of the SNF Initiative by FSSAI, welcome you at the Moving Images area. The Big Picture Zone has multiple digital display panels that reinforce the presence of the regulator across the country and the network of the food safety ecosystem. The Circle of Trust Zone highlights how three key stakeholders, the regulator, the food businesses and the citizens, play their distinct roles, yet merge to form a complete, virtuous circle of trust in the spirit of ‘food safety is a shared responsibility’.

FSSAI believes that every stakeholder is critical, every citizen has a role to play and every little effort made by the regulator is amplified when citizens participate. Through this experience zone, FSSAI shares its efforts with the citizens, and invites them to absorb, understand and take a pledge, to Eat Right, Eat safe and Eat healthy! A web portal has been developed where citizens can take a digital tour of the Experience Zone and allows users to pre-book a visit. The Experience Zone will remain open to the public every Friday between 3 pm and 5 pm starting this week. Furthermore, FSSAI believes that children need to be taught the significance of food safety and nutrition at an early age and therefore, The Experience Zone will remain open for school visits by children of class 8 and above every Wednesday between 10 am and 12 noon. This method of experiential learning will be combined with a workshop led by the FSSAI team.

Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NIT Aayog formally inaugurated the Experience Zone today. He acknowledged that FSSAI has radically transformed into a new age, innovative and proactive organization with a shift from regulation to developmental perspective. He further highlighted that FSSAI today is a truly networked organization with many partners and congratulated Tata Trusts and FSSAI for The Experience Zone. He emphasized that food is a critical component of growth and FSSAI is at the frontiers of using new technologies in order to ensure the safety of the same.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Harish Krishnaswamy, COO Tata Trusts appreciated the leadership that enabled the creation of this innovative Experience Zone. He was delighted to have collaborated with the food regulator for bringing to life this unique and technology driven ecosystem. FSSAI believes that this walkthrough of India’s food safety ecosystem will further empower citizens to Eat Right, Eat Safe and Eat Healthy.