Students of PG Food Technology appointed as FSSAI Food Adulteration Ambassadors

ACTIVITY REPORT

Objective(s) of the Activity:

The West Region of FSSAI has launched the ‘Food Adulteration Ambassador Program’ in Goa on 13^th December 2025. A total of ten students of the PGFT attended the informative training session about the program at V.M. Salgaoncar Institute of Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE), Manora – Raia. Two faculty members of the PG Department of Food Technology (PGFT), Ms. Nezlyn C. D’Souza and Dr. Maria Cordeiro, accompanied the students for this training session. The specific goals of conducting this program were:

1. To educate students on the ambassador programme.
2. To train them on using the video and toolkit as educational tools.
3. To explain the process of documenting and reporting.

Activity Overview:

The training session for this event was held at VMSIIHE from 2 pm to 4.45 pm, and was conducted by Mr. Shashank Pandey, a consultant at the Social and Behavioral Change Division of the FSSAI. Of the PGFT, twelve Student Ambassadors were selected on the basis of their interest in food safety and community service. These students include: Naomi Moraes, Shruti Chodankar, Nupur Nargundkar, Veena Bandodkar, Sufi Kazi, Aamina Bi, Yashashwini Naik, Shreya Naik, Yuga Karambhalkar, Vrunda Naik, Deon Fernandes, and Sanika Sawant. These students are tasked to act as peer educators and facilitators, making the message of food safety and adulteration detection relatable and engaging for younger students in public and private schools. The students were provided with a toolkit, a T-shirt and a video curated by the FSSAI West Region. The FSSAI West Region, officially launched the Food Adulteration Ambassador Program in Goa on 13^th December 2025. This initiative is a dedicated effort to empower local communities, students, and consumers with the knowledge and tools necessary to detect and report food adulteration, thereby strengthening the food safety ecosystem across the state. The launch event, held in Panaji, was attended by key FSSAI officials, State Food Safety Commissioners, and the first batch of certified Ambassadors. The event was graced by the CEO of FSSAI, Shri Rajit Punhani, Regional Director for the FSSAI West Region, Ms. Pritee Chaudhary, Director of DFDA-Goa, Ms. Shweta Dessai and Designated Officer for Panjim, Mr. Richard Noronha.

Outcomes of the Activity:

The Ambassador Program focuses on creating a network of trained volunteers who will act as change agents in their localities. Their core responsibilities include conducting awareness sessions in schools, colleges, and residential areas on the importance of food safety and common methods of adulteration, promoting the FSSAI’s DART manual and encouraging the use of the FSSAI’s grievance portal and the Food Safety Connect app to report instances of suspected food adulteration.

Beneficiaries: