KANPUR: ‘Jail ka khana‘ has been an oft-repeated phrase to trash a food plate. This jail in Farrukhabad, however, has turned the phrase on its head.
The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a five-star rating to the Fatehgarh central jail of Farrukhabad for the quality of food it serves to its inmates.
A third-party audit, which was empanelled by FSSAI, provided the five-star ‘Eat Right Certificate’ to the jail, making it first in the state to get the recognition, claimed senior district officials.
“It is a recognition of food quality and hygiene, which means the inmates are getting quality food items prepared in the jail,” the officials added.
On Thursday, district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh told TOI that the Fatehgarh central jail received the FSSAI’s “Eat Right” accreditation, indicating that 1,100 inmates were fed clean and nutritious meals.
“We got the licence from FSSAI in March 2022. According to its parameters, the arrangements with regard to food and hygiene had improved. Then an audit by the third party was done and our kitchen was awarded with five-star rating by FSSAI, which makes the jail first in the state to receive such recognition,” the DM added.
Jail superintendent, Bheem Sen Mukund, said, “The FSSAI undertook a series of inspections over some time, based on which the Fatehgarh central jail has been certified as an ‘Eat Right Campus’, according to FSSAI rules.”
“We followed all the FSSAI guidelines properly. The pre-audit report has been created after detailed recommendations and observations to improve sanitation, hygiene and food safety processes,” he said and added, “Not only this, 1,100 inmates, besides jail staff underwent training in cleanliness, food safety and sanitation under standard operating procedures.”
Mukund further told TOI that the process of making food has been automated to a large extent. “In fact, kitchens of both the shifts used to prepare food daily for about 1,100 inmates. Earlier, the help of prisoners was taken in preparing roti, vegetables and pulses. But being manual, it took a lot of time. About 50 prisoners were mobilized to prepare food for each shift. Now, the jail administration has modernized it by installing big roti-maker machines. A dough kneading machine is installed separately. Vegetables are cut with machine cutters.”
About 50% time has been reduced due to the use of machines, he said further. “Now, hygienic food is being provided to the prisoners by the use of machines. Earlier, coconut bush was used to make roti in the jail. Now, rotis are being made only by machines.”
FSSAI is a self-governing organization that regulates the quality and standard of the food industry in India. The organization is being regulated independently within the ministry of health and family welfare of the government of India.
The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a five-star rating to the Fatehgarh central jail of Farrukhabad for the quality of food it serves to its inmates.
A third-party audit, which was empanelled by FSSAI, provided the five-star ‘Eat Right Certificate’ to the jail, making it first in the state to get the recognition, claimed senior district officials.
“It is a recognition of food quality and hygiene, which means the inmates are getting quality food items prepared in the jail,” the officials added.
On Thursday, district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh told TOI that the Fatehgarh central jail received the FSSAI’s “Eat Right” accreditation, indicating that 1,100 inmates were fed clean and nutritious meals.
“We got the licence from FSSAI in March 2022. According to its parameters, the arrangements with regard to food and hygiene had improved. Then an audit by the third party was done and our kitchen was awarded with five-star rating by FSSAI, which makes the jail first in the state to receive such recognition,” the DM added.
Jail superintendent, Bheem Sen Mukund, said, “The FSSAI undertook a series of inspections over some time, based on which the Fatehgarh central jail has been certified as an ‘Eat Right Campus’, according to FSSAI rules.”
“We followed all the FSSAI guidelines properly. The pre-audit report has been created after detailed recommendations and observations to improve sanitation, hygiene and food safety processes,” he said and added, “Not only this, 1,100 inmates, besides jail staff underwent training in cleanliness, food safety and sanitation under standard operating procedures.”
Mukund further told TOI that the process of making food has been automated to a large extent. “In fact, kitchens of both the shifts used to prepare food daily for about 1,100 inmates. Earlier, the help of prisoners was taken in preparing roti, vegetables and pulses. But being manual, it took a lot of time. About 50 prisoners were mobilized to prepare food for each shift. Now, the jail administration has modernized it by installing big roti-maker machines. A dough kneading machine is installed separately. Vegetables are cut with machine cutters.”
About 50% time has been reduced due to the use of machines, he said further. “Now, hygienic food is being provided to the prisoners by the use of machines. Earlier, coconut bush was used to make roti in the jail. Now, rotis are being made only by machines.”
FSSAI is a self-governing organization that regulates the quality and standard of the food industry in India. The organization is being regulated independently within the ministry of health and family welfare of the government of India.