Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) conducted a Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme at Divisional Railway Hospital, Alipurduar (APDJ) on second week of August, 2025, to enhance preparedness for ‘Eat Right Station’ and ‘Eat Right Campus’ certifications under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The training session was conducted by Ms. Debarati Kundu, FoSTaC Trainer, with technical support from Mrs. Kalpana Prajapati, FSSAI Auditor. Organised by Unimodal Foundation with support from Marico Ltd., the training saw participation from food handlers of stations under Alipurduar division, Zonal Training Centres, APDJ Hospital Kitchen staff and health officials including Dr. Jibesh Kumar Sarkar (ACMS/APDJ), Dr. Sumit Priyadarshi (Sr. DMO/APDJ), Mr. Hemant Kumar Kanaujiya (AHO/HQ/MLG), Mr. Dipankar Dey (Food Safety Officer/APDJ), Smt. Reena Paul (Assistant Nursing Officer/APDJ) and Mr. Alok Nandan Singh (AHO/APDJ).
FoSTaC training is a core prerequisite for securing ‘Eat Right Station’ certification, alongside pre-audits and final third-party audits as per FSSAI guidelines. NFR has been consistently expanding its network of certified stations, with Guwahati becoming the first in the zone in June 2023, followed by Lumding, Harishchandrapur, New Bongaigaon, New Jalpaiguri, Rangiya, Mariani, Samsi, Kamakhya and New Tinsukia over the last few years. Each certification recognizes stations that provide safe, hygienic and nutritious food through licensed vendors and trained food safety supervisors.
Through such initiatives, NFR aims to bring more stations and institutional premises under the ‘Eat Right’ umbrella, ensuring better passenger services and healthier food environments across the zone. ‘Eat Right Station’ and ‘Eat Right Campus’ programmes align with the national “Eat Right India” movement, promoting food safety, hygiene and nutrition in public spaces. The Alipurduar training marks another step towards achieving wider compliance and enhancing the overall travel experience for rail users in Northeast India.
