Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut has been given the “EAT RIGHT CAMPUS” certification by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Govt. of India. The certification has been awarded to the campus for following stringent quality and standards in the student messes and cafeterias within the campus. The prestigious certification has been awarded to the University along with other educational institutions such as IIM Ahemadabad and IIT Gandhinagar. The ‘Eat Right Campus’ initiative aims to promote safe, healthy, and sustainable food in campuses such as schools, universities, colleges, workplaces, hospitals, tea estates, etc. across the country. The objective is to improve the health of people and the planet and promote the social and economic development of the nation. As per the Eat Right Campus website, the eligibility criteria for a campus to receive the certification is as follows:
- Food and Safety measures.
- Provision of healthy and environmentally sustainable food.
- Spreading awareness within the campus to make healthy food choices.
- licensing and registration of foodservice providers on the campus.
- Compliance with food safety and hygiene standards as per Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.
- limiting unhealthy food choices within the campus.
The certification process is thorough and tedious. Once enrolled in this program, a campus first undergoes a self-assessment or a third-party audit by an FSSAI impaneled agency based on this checklist to identify gaps and areas of improvement. The certification benefits the students and the staff to reduce the incidence of food-borne illnesses, deficiency diseases, and non-communicable diseases among the people on the campus.
