Content
- Safe processing matters more than zesty flavours
- The future of health lies in harmony
Safe processing matters more than zesty flavours
Why is it in News?
- Multiple high-profile food adulteration and hygiene violations have raised concerns about India’s food safety ecosystem.
- July 2024 Chennai raids on 58 pani puri stalls exposed contaminated water use and unhygienic handling.
- Triggered national debate on safe street food vs. packaged food reliability, consumer trust, and regulatory capacity of FSSAI.
- Comes amid rising food-borne illnesses and renewed push for Eat Right India and Clean Street Food Hub initiatives.
Relevance
GS 2 – Governance
- Regulatory capacity of FSSAI.
- Enforcement challenges in unorganised sectors.
- Public health delivery and state–local coordination.
GS 3 – Economy
- Street food sector → informal employment, livelihoods, tourism.
- Food processing industry → innovation, fortification, formalisation.
- Impact of safety standards on supply chains and costs.
GS 2 & GS3 – Health
- Food-borne illnesses → national public health burden.
- Need for preventive regulation and surveillance.
Practice Questions
- “India’s food safety ecosystem is more enforcement-deficient than law-deficient.” Discuss in the context of rising food adulteration incidents.(250 Words)
India’s Food Safety Architecture
- Food regulation governed by Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
- FSSAI is the apex authority for setting standards, licensing, surveillance, and enforcement.
- Two major domains:
- Packaged food sector (formal, regulated, traceable).
- Unpackaged/informal food sector (street vendors, small eateries).
- Compliance differs greatly between formal and informal ecosystems.
Street Food Sector: Structural Concerns
- Highly unorganised, fragmented, dispersed.
- Weak enforcement due to:
- Lack of registration
- Mobility of vendors
- Poor awareness of hygiene norms
- Limited municipal capacity
- Leads to high contamination risks, adulteration, unsafe water use, reused oil, improper storage, and lack of waste management.
Scale of the Public Health Problem
- 100 million cases of food-borne illness annually in India (Observer Research Foundation).
- 1,20,000 deaths linked to contaminated food.
- Major share originates from informal/unorganised food sources.
- Outbreaks often underreported, masking the real burden on public health.
Why Street Food Becomes High-Risk ?
- Use of contaminated water (as seen in Chennai raids).
- Hand contamination due to lack of gloves, sanitation, or clean storage.
- Reused cooking oil → toxic compounds, trans fats.
- Adulterated ingredients due to cost pressures.
- Lack of refrigeration → higher microbial contamination.
- Poor waste disposal → pest infestation.
Packaged Foods: Why They Inspire More Trust
- Operate under structured supply chains and scientific processing.
- Mandatory compliance with:
- Ingredient labelling
- Nutritional panels
- Allergen declaration
- Manufacturing & expiry dates
- Batch traceability
- Safety reinforced by:
- Pasteurisation
- Aseptic packaging
- Vacuum sealing
- Growing shift towards:
- Health-oriented products
- Micronutrient fortification
- Transparency in sourcing.
Regulatory Gaps
- FSSAI has stronger control over packaged foods, weaker over unpacked street food.
- Main challenges:
- Massive vendor population
- Informal setups without licences
- Low awareness and training
- Limited municipal and FSSAI manpower
- Inconsistent state-level enforcement
- Result: uneven food safety environment.
Government Interventions
Training & Capacity-Building
- FSSAI–BMC training for Mumbai vendors: hygiene, food handling, storage, waste disposal.
- National-level skill modules for street vendors under FoSTaC (Food Safety Training and Certification).
Clean Street Food Hub (CSFH)
- Certifies clusters of vendors meeting safety standards.
- Promotes tourism, consumer trust, and livelihoods.
Eat Right India Movement
- Behavioural change, hygiene ratings, food safety campaigns.
- Supports vendor formalisation.
Food Safety On Wheels
- Mobile labs for testing adulteration and raising awareness.
Licensing & Registration Drives
- Efforts to expand registration of street vendors under FSSAI norms.
Strengths of Formal Packaged Food Regulation
- High traceability.
- Strong surveillance and lab testing.
- Legal accountability for adulteration.
- Expanding health-focused innovation.
- Supports national nutrition goals (micronutrient fortification).
Challenges in Street Food Governance
- Low compliance due to informal nature.
- Cost pressures encourage adulteration.
- Municipal capacity deficits.
- Seasonal vendors are difficult to regulate.
- Consumer reliance on street food due to affordability.
Way Forward
- Scale up Clean Street Food Hubs nationwide.
- Mandatory vendor hygiene rating visible at stalls.
- Subsidised licensing, training, and medical check-ups for vendors.
- Encourage:
- Mobile hand-washing units
- Safe water kiosks
- Clean cooking oil norms (limits on reuse).
- Strengthen municipal FSO (Food Safety Officer) workforce.
- Use digital tools for monitoring and traceability (QR-based vendor IDs).
- Public-private partnerships for testing booths near markets.
- Mass awareness campaigns for consumers.
The future of health lies in harmony
Why in News?
- WHO and the Government of India signed an MoU to co-host the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi (December 17–19, 2025).
- The Summit aligns with WHO’s 10-year Global Traditional Medicine Strategy (2025–34).
- Follows the success of the first WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine held in Gandhinagar (August 2023) and the establishment of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Relevance
GS 2 – Health & International Relations
- India–WHO cooperation: Global Summit on Traditional Medicine.
- International standard-setting for AYUSH systems (ISO/TC 249/SC 2).
- WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy (2025–34).
GS 3 – Science, Tech & Economy
- Evidence-based integration, clinical trials, data analytics.
- AYUSH industry → USD 43.4 billion market; exports, innovation, digital health.
- Conservation of medicinal plants, sustainability, bio-economy.
GS 1 – Society
- Traditional medical knowledge as a cultural asset.
- Role of communities, indigenous healers, and biodiversity-linked livelihoods.
Practice Questions
- “India’s traditional medicine systems offer a holistic alternative but require rigorous scientific validation.” Examine in the context of the WHO Summit on Traditional Medicine.(250 Words)
What is Traditional Medicine?
- Knowledge-based medical systems developed over centuries (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, TCM, African traditional medicine).
- Views health as harmony between body, mind, environment, and society.
- Emphasises prevention, balance, and holistic well-being, not just treatment of disease.
Global Context
- WHO reports ~90% of member-states use some form of traditional medicine.
- First line of health care for billions in LMICs due to accessibility, affordability, cultural acceptance.
- Supports biodiversity, nutrition, food security, and local livelihoods.
- Rising relevance due to global trends:
- Surge in lifestyle diseases.
- Concerns about environmental degradation.
- Search for personalised, preventive, low-side-effect therapies.
Market & Economic Significance
- India’s AYUSH sector valued at USD 43.4 billion.
- Driven by:
- Consumer preference for natural, preventive wellness.
- Digital health tools and integrative models.
- Export growth in AYUSH products and services.
- Global shift from reactive (disease treatment) to proactive (wellness, prevention) health care models.
Why the Shift Matters ?
- Fragmented, disease-centric health systems fail to address:
- Chronic diseases
- Mental health crises
- Social fragmentation
- Planetary health challenges
- New model demands balance: people–planet, science–tradition, intuition–innovation.
India’s Role in Advancing Traditional Medicine
a) Scientific Integration and Standards
- Dedicated AYUSH Department at BIS.
- Contribution to ISO/TC 249/SC 2 for global AYUSH standards.
- Push for evidence-based research, clinical trials, digitised data.
b) Global Leadership
- Host of WHO’s Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) at Jamnagar.
- GTMC focus areas:
- Evidence & learning
- Data & analytics
- Sustainability & equity
- Protection of local heritages and rights
c) Diplomatic and Strategic Role
- GTMC is a symbol of India’s position as:
- Birthplace of multicultural traditional systems.
- Hub of global integrative health innovation.
- Advocate for sustainable and ethical health knowledge.
First WHO Global Summit (Gandhinagar, 2023) — Key Outcomes
- Mobilised global political commitment for integrative health.
- Adopted the Gujarat Declaration emphasising:
- Biodiversity protection
- Fair benefit-sharing
- Digital innovation
- Equitable access to traditional knowledge
- Evidence-based integration into national health systems
Second Global Summit 2025 — Expectations
- Theme: “Restoring Balance: The Science and Practice of Health and Well-being.”
- Will mobilise global action for WHO’s 2025–34 Strategy.
- Focus on:
- Cross-border research collaboration
- Clinical evidence generation
- Digital documentation of traditional knowledge
- Sustainability and ethical use of biological resources
- Workforce development in traditional medicine
- Policy frameworks for integrative health
Significance for India
- Strengthens India’s soft power through Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha, Unani, Sowa-Rigpa.
- Boosts AYUSH economy, exports, and global market access.
- Reinforces India’s position as a knowledge and innovation hub.
- Supports domestic goals: preventive care, reduced burden of NCDs, affordable health access.
Critical Challenges
- Need for robust scientific validation and clinical trials.
- Risks of biopiracy and misappropriation of indigenous knowledge.
- Overharvesting of medicinal plants threatening biodiversity.
- Variability in quality standards of herbal products.
- Integration challenges within modern medical systems.
- Need for global regulatory harmonisation.
Way Forward
- Strengthen evidence generation through multi-country trials.
- Build global databases for traditional knowledge and formulations.
- Promote sustainable cultivation of medicinal plants.
- Standardise products via BIS and ISO frameworks.
- Ensure fair benefit-sharing with communities and practitioners.
- Expand AYUSH infrastructure, tele-AYUSH, and education.
- Foster industry innovation: personalised herbs, Ayurgenomics, AI-based diagnostics.
Conclusion
Traditional medicine is entering a new phase — where ancient wisdom is being validated by science, empowered by technology, and embedded in global health policies. India stands at the centre of this transformation, promoting a model where:
- Health heals, not harms
- Progress sustains, not consumes
- Science serves, not separates
The 2025 Summit marks a turning point in reaffirming that the future of global health lies in harmony — between humans, societies, and the planet.
