Eat Right Station
The Eat Right Railway Station is one of the initiatives under the Eat Right India movement led by FSSAI. Under this initiative, all food vendors on the railway station, both organized catering units/ restaurants/ food courts as well as small vendor kiosks/ retail outlets/ booths etc are targeted to ensure they follow safe cooking and handling practices during preparation and serving of food to the railway passengers, officials and staff. To be certified under this initiative, all the food handlers at the designated railway station are required to be trained under FSSAI’s FoSTaC program, followed by a third party audit as well as certification based on a pre defined checklist…
Need for Eat Right Stations
The food ecosystem at railway stations is often large and varied. It comprises catering-cum-retail outlets, retail outlets, food plazas, mobile food vendors on railway platforms and base kitchens, and food warehouses.
In order to ensure safe food and healthy diets are available to passengers and visitors at railway station complexes, a holistic approach is required which should include different kinds of food businesses.
Eat Right Station Initiative
The “Eat Right Station” initiative of FSSAI is designed to enable the railways to ensure that safe and wholesome food is served to passengers, visitors, and railway officials.
Railway stations that fulfil benchmark criteria will be recognized as “Eat Right Stations” through plaques and/or certificates of excellence.
Steps for Certification
Identification of the railway station and submission of the enrolment proforma.
Pre-audit as per KOB-specific checklists to identify gaps.
Food safety training and certification of food handlers through FSSAI-empanelled training partners, with focus on gaps identified during pre-audit.
Final audit conducted by an FSSAI-empanelled third-party auditing agency.
Based on the final audit score and recommendation, the station complex will be declared an “Eat Right Station Complex” with ratings from two-star (least score) to five-star (max score) by FSSAI, with a validity of up to two years.
Half-yearly assessment of performance as per the given checklist will be conducted by the Eat Right Fellow nominated by FSSAI.
The score will be considered for renewal of the certificate after one year.
Certificates will be issued annually.
Food service establishments in railway stations may adopt Hygiene Rating.
Role of Stakeholders
State / UT FDA:
Overall implementation and identification of railway stations; verification of self-assessment and final audit reports; recommendation for declaring “Eat Right Station”.
Indian Railways & IRCTC:
Conduct self-assessment as per checklist; overall support in identification, implementation, and sustenance; mobilizing resources to become a certified Eat Right Station.Training Partners (FoSTaC):
Mobilizing participants, conducting FoSTaC Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) trainings, and translating training material into local languages.Auditing Agencies:
Mobilizing participation, ensuring timely audits, and leveraging audits for further improvements.Corporates / Funding Partners:
Adopting railway stations for Eat Right Station certification; promoting awareness; using CSR funds for training, printing, and translation of training materials.
Audit Parameters
To promote a systematic approach to ensure that safe and wholesome food is served/provided, audits are based on five parameters with predefined checklists:
1. Compliance with Food Safety and Hygiene
Systematic processes for food safety and hygiene in catering and retail outlets, including:
Design & facilities
Control of operations
Maintenance and sanitation
Personal hygiene of food handlers
Training and record keeping
Identification and traceability of incoming raw materials
2. Healthy Diets
Checklists identify availability of healthy diets at railway station complexes:
Fruits, vegetables, salads
Healthy cooking methods (roasting, steaming, etc.)
Rotation of oils
Variety of local staples
Use of fortified staples (to address micronutrient deficiencies)
Repurposed Used Cooking Oil (RUCO)
Discouraging HFSS foods (High Fat, Sugar, and Salt)
3. Food Waste Management
Innovative practices to tackle food waste, such as:
Measuring waste in kg
Setting reduction targets
Smaller portion sizes and packaging
Timely donation
Repurposing surplus food through food banks
(www.sharefood.fssai.gov.in)
4. Promotion of Local and Seasonal Food
Promotion of local and seasonal foods which are:
Healthy (minimal preservatives)
Cost-effective
Suitable for the current season
Supported by short and robust supply chains
Promotion of indigenous foods such as jowar, bajra, local millets, and vegetables.
5. Promotion and Awareness on Food Safety and Healthy Diets
Use of FSSAI’s resource repository to spread awareness on mindful eating
Handouts and short films displayed on screens at railway premises
Railways sharing their Eat Right Station experience to create a ripple effect in the community and promote the Eat Right India movement
Audit Checklist & Scoring System
Three audit checklists with different weightages for:
Cooking establishments
Retail units
Overall station
Ratings Based on Audit Scores
Five Star (85% and above) – Exemplary
Four Star (75% and above) – Full Compliance
Three Star (65% and above) – Satisfactory Compliance
Two Star (55% and above) – Partial Compliance
Below 55% – Non-Compliance
Make Your Railway Station an Eat Right Station
Adopt food safety, hygiene, and healthy diet practices to ensure safe and wholesome food for every passenger.