First Round Table Conference of Health Ministers held on Food Safety and Nutrition

First Health Ministers Roundtable on Food Safety & Nutrition

Question: Where was the first Round Table Conference of Health Ministers held on Food Safety and Nutrition recently?
(a) New Delhi
(b) Bangalore
(c) Pune
(d) Ahmedabad
Ans: (a)
Related facts:-

  • On January 9th, 2018, the first Round Table Conference of Health Ministers on Food Safety and Nutrition was organized in New Delhi.
  • Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda presided over the conference.
  • This conference was organized by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
  • Union Health Minister of State Ashwani Kumar Choubey and Health Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Puducherry and Delhi also joined the Round Table Conference.
  • On this occasion, the Union Health Minister released the Framework for Clean Street Food Hobbs and Food Festivals.
  • This will help in the development of the capacity of street food vendors.
  • In addition to this, Health Minister also released the Healthy India Food Calendar of FSSAI.
  • This is the first calendar of its kind, in which the main festivals of India and the related food are shown.
  • The new website of FSSAI has also been launched.
  • During this Round Table Conference, a team of researchers presented estimates of financial loss due to diseases.
  • According to estimates, India gets a 0.5 percent (28 billion dollars) loss in GDP is due to diseases.
  • During this conference, State Health Ministers announced the acceptance of a seven-point charter which is as follows:
    1. Develop stringent food safety standards and prepare safe food practice codes.
    2. Creating a positive regulatory environment.
    3. Establish a reliable national food testing system.
    4. To remove the lack of micronutrients and to develop excellent food habits.
    5. Bring behavioral changes in the citizens for safe and nutritious food.
    6. Develop self-certification culture in food business.
    7. Developing effective institutions with appropriate financial support.
  • It is known that the Central Government has decided to transform 1.5 lakh health sub-centers in the form of ‘Health and Welfare’ centers in the country.
  • Diabetes, hypertension, cancer etc. will be examined at these centers.
  • The main goal of National Health Policy-2017 is to bring, an ease in the availability and consumption of safe and nutritious food and reduction in deaths from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

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