One of Goa’s leading private hospitality institute, the V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) located in the pristine village of Manora-Raia recently obtained the coveted government ‘Eat Right Campus’ certification with 5 star rating.
The prestigious certification has been obtained under the central government’s ‘Eat Right Campus’ initiative of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) which aims to promote safe, healthy and sustainable food practices in educational campuses, workplaces, hospitals, tea estates, etc. across the country.
VMSIIHE is the first hospitality institute in India and also in the state of Goa to obtain the certification, which requires passing a thorough audit of institutional practices.
The overall objective of the certification is to improve the health of people and the planet and at the same time promote social and economic development of the nation.
“The certification is a formal endorsement of the cutting edge institutional systems and practices already in place at the VMSIIHE. The extensive certification process was carried out by the Institute in assistance with Indianeers Food Safety Management, an empanelled agency and training programme partner of Food Safety Training and Certification (FOSTAC) authorised by the FSSAI,” said Chef Sebastian Breitinger, Professor of Culinary Arts at the institute.
A team of 21 food handlers from the Institute’s various departments were trained as part of the certification programme, to improve processes related to documentation of foods, as well as to set up collaboration with food suppliers in order to ensure efficient traceability of sourced goods.
VMSIIHE had already put in place safety precautions against Covid-19 to safeguard its campus. The institute had also started a dynamic poster campaign to highlight the perils of food wastage and how to control the phenomenon. To further create awareness about food wastage, VMSIIHE has initiated the practice of weighing leftovers and putting the statistics on display on the institute’s notice boards, to make students and faculty conscious of food wastage and take steps to eliminate wasteful trends.
The evaluation by the team of auditors was a thorough, elaborate procedure with the team minutely assessing staff members of the Institute, as well as examining all documentation processes. “VMSIIHE takes pride in having gone through a strict appraisal and meeting the standards held by the auditor that visited the institute on the day of the evaluation,” says Prof. Irfan Mirza, Director/Principal at VMSIIHE.
