In yet another milestone by Vijayawada Division, South Central Railway’s Annavaram Railway Station bagged the prestigious The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ‘Eat Right Station’ Certification for implementing best hygienic and safe food practices in service to esteemed passengers.
With this feat, the Temple Town Station, Annavaram has become the first Station on Vijayawada Division and second in SCR Zone after Hyderabad (Nampally) Station to bag the ‘Eat Right Station’ Certification.
The ‘Eat Right Station’ certification is granted by FSSAI to Railway Stations for adhering to standard food storage and hygiene practices, and for providing high-quality, nutritious food to rail passengers. This certification is a testament to the Division’s commitment and resolve to ensure serve its esteemed passengers with utmost safe and hygienic standards.
For achieving this certification, the Railway Officials had initially nominated the Annavaram Railway Station, being the abode of sacred religious shrine, attracting heavy footfall on daily basis. After due nomination process, the catering vendors, stall owners and food handlers were trained under the FOSTAC (Food Safety & Training Certification) programme as per FSSAI standards. Post the training programme, intense monitoring and evaluation of all the catering stalls was conducted by the commercial and food safety staff periodically.
All the parameters like food safety, hygiene standards, personal hygiene of vendors, protective gear, expiry dates of food products, temperature control, garbage disposal, segregation of wet and dry waste were taken into account and monitored continuously. Initially a pre-audit was conducted and finally a FSSAI empaneled third party audit was conducted.
After complete monitoring and evaluation for six months and in conformity with benchmark standards and hygienic practices, Annavaram Railway Station achieved its ‘Eat Right Station’ Certification.
Narendra A. Patil, Divisional Railway Manager, Vijayawada Division congratulated Vavilapalli Rambabu, Sr.DCM; P. Chandrasekhar, DO Safety; Rahamathulla, FSO, Catering and Commercial team of Vijayawada Division for their exemplary efforts in bagging the prestigious FSSAI ‘Eat Right Station’ Certification. The DRM said that ‘Eat Right India’ movement is a large-scale effort by FSSAI to transform the country’s food system to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians. Shri Narendra A. Patil also emphasized on planning and achieving more such certifications for other stations over the Division in future.
