Mutual Fund-Liquid Funds

by cv | Sep 17, 2022 | Best Buy

Mutual Fund-Liquid Funds

Most of the people in our country keep their money in a savings account. Although there is no special return on this money, but you can earn more profit by investing your money in liquid funds. Now, what is a liquid fund and how does it work? Let’s learn more about it.

Subas Tiwari

What is ‘liquid’ about them?

Liquid funds are in the category of debt mutual funds, which collect money from several investors and invest this amount in bonds of reputed companies and government bonds. Liquid funds are those mutual funds that offer high liquidity. This means, the units of these funds can be sold immediately, and the invested amount can be redeemed quickly.

How do Liquid Funds Work?

To understand how liquid funds work, you need to know where they invest and how they generate returns.

Where do Liquid Funds Invest?

A liquid fund will typically hold securities that are short term, of good credit quality, and highly liquid. A recent set of guidelines issued by SEBI has helped to reinforce these fund features.

Liquid funds can invest only in listed commercial paper, and they have an overall exposure limit of 20% in a sector. They are not permitted to invest in risky assets as defined by SEBI norms. These norms aim to contain credit risk in the liquid fund portfolio.

Further, liquid funds must hold at least 20% of their assets in liquid products (cash and cash equivalents such as money market securities). This ensures that they can quickly meet any redemption demands.

Sources of Earnings

Liquid funds earn mainly through interest payments on their debt holdings; a very small part of their income is generated via capital gains. This is a defining feature of liquid funds, so let us understand it in some detail.

When interest rates fall, bond prices go up. When interest rates rise, bond prices fall. The negative relation between bond prices and interest rates is stronger for long term bonds. This means that the longer the maturity of a bond, the more it responds to changes in market yields.

Since a liquid fund invests only in short term securities, its market value does not respond much when interest rates change in the market. This means that liquid funds do not have significant capital gains or losses. In a rising interest rate environment, liquid funds often outperform other debt funds because (i) their interest earnings are going up (ii) their market values suffer only to a limited extent due to capital losses. In market jargon, we say that liquid funds have a very low-interest rate risk.

Where do the fund managers invest these funds?

These funds are invested in short-term debt instruments with maturities of less than one year. Investments are mostly in money market instruments, short-term corporate deposits and treasury. The maturity of instruments held is between 3 and 6 months.

What returns do they bring to your coffers?

The returns from liquid funds don’t vary much as they invest in similar underlying securities. However, when looking for a liquid fund, the past return should not be the only factor for consideration. Other factors like size of the fund, credit quality of underlying securities and track record of the fund house should also be kept in mind.

How are they different from other “liquid’ investment schemes?

LIQUID FUNDS	ULTRA SHORT TERM FUNDS	SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
Risks are lower in this type of fund due to higher liquidity.	Risks are a notch higher as compared to liquid funds due to their short-term nature of investment.	Liquid funds cannot be a full-fledged substitute for a savings bank account. Barring some funds, you cannot withdraw money instantly (like you do with an ATM).
Returns are ‘decent’ as these are not linked to market forces.	These instruments may also be traded in the market. Hence, the NAV may swing in response to market movements, making returns ‘a little modest’ than returns of liquid funds.	These funds pay low interest rates (about 4 per cent mostly and 6-7 per cent in the case of one or two banks) in savings account.
Liquid funds do not suffer exit load.	A few ultra-short-term funds may levy exit load for exits made immediately after investment (time for exit may vary between funds).	Amount in savings account can be withdrawn at any time without any ceiling.
NAV of liquid funds is not volatile as the only change in their NAV is mostly as a result of the interest income that accrues. In other words, given their short-term maturities, these instruments are hardly traded in the market. They are held until maturity. Hence, their NAV only sees a change to the extent of interest income accrued, every day, including weekends.	The NAV of ultra-short-term funds may swing in response to market movements, making it a little more volatile.	In savings account, the income is steady as the rate of deposit has not been changed for a long time.

Features of Liquid Fund

Liquid fund is popular as it is the only fund which pays dividend on ‘daily’ basis in addition to weekly, fortnightly & monthly options. This suits businessmen/traders who suddenly find that they have a cash surplus (due to additional foreign exchange earnings as a result of FOREX fluctuation especially in export transactions and/or additional profits due to a ‘spiral’ in the cost of the product in the market) desire to ‘park’ their surplus funds by investing in a ‘safe’ fund for a short-term period. So, individual investors can choose the daily dividend plan, weekly dividend plan or monthly dividend plans according to investor preferences.
This fund is easily encashable say, within a couple of days of short notice, which adds to its popularity.
This fund also enjoys income tax benefits like any other mutual fund. Besides, the tax is deducted at the hands of the fund houses & NOT at the hands of individual investors.
This fund is considered to be of ‘low/average risk’ because there is no lock-in period.
This fund does not have any Entry/Exit load. So, individual investors need not weigh this option while choosing the ‘ideal’ fund.

Limitations of Liquid Fund

This type of fund is not very popular among brokers & fund advisors because of the rate of brokerage/commission paid to them is lower than other investment products. Due to this, the first-time mutual fund investors, many a time, are not told about this product, thereby affecting the growth of this fund.
Due to its modest rate of return(as compared to other MFs), this type of fund has very few takers in the investment market.
Very few would be made aware of the fact that this mutual fund does not have the “Systematic Investment Plan’ (SIP) tag, as it is a liquid fund & does not insist on a minimum period of investment under SIP; so any investor can exit at any time & get ‘returns’ for the period of holding. This singularly could be a dampener for first-time investors.
There is a perceptible hesitancy in the minds of the investing public in going all-out for these liquid funds because of the rider –minimum investment, which also acts a dampener while taking investment decisions. Some feel that the minimum investment could be further brought down to Rs.1000 to enable widening of the net to attract small & retail investors.

Who Should Invest in Liquid Funds?

Investors with a short investment horizon: Liquid funds are best suited for those with an investment horizon of up to 3 months, as the funds invest in securities with comparable maturities. Investors with longer investment horizons‐say 6 months to a year‐ should invest in slightly longer duration funds (say ultra-short duration funds) so that they can earn higher returns.
Investors who invest in bank deposits: Investors who keep their surplus funds in bank deposits can benefit from liquid funds on two fronts: greater withdrawal flexibility and better returns. In a traditional bank fixed deposit, funds are locked‐in for a fixed period; and an interest penalty is imposed on premature withdrawal. In contrast, liquid funds offer flexible holding periods with easy exit options. Money in bank savings accounts can be withdrawn at any time, but they offer around 3%‐4% interest only, which is lower than the 5% plus usually earned by a liquid fund.
Investors who want to keep contingency funds: The purpose of liquid funds is to provide liquidity and safety while generating a low return. Hence investors can park an emergency or contingency corpus in a liquid fund, with the assurance that it will be safe and can be redeemed when necessary.
Investors who need to park funds temporarily: Liquid funds are cash management products that are designed to keep funds safe while earning a small return. Hence, a large sum of money, say, from a bonus or sale of property or inheritance, can be temporarily parked in a liquid fund until the investor decides how to invest the corpus.
Medium to route investments in equity funds: Investors can hold funds in a liquid fund and use an STP to route investments systematically into an equity fund. This enables them to invest in equity periodically, while at the same time, the corpus in the liquid fund earns stable returns.

Keep These Things in Mind Before Investing in Liquid Funds

Liquid funds are among the least risky debt funds and often viewed as substitutes for bank deposits. However, low risk does not mean zero risks! Investors should understand that liquid funds also carry a few risks.

First, like all mutual fund products, returns are not guaranteed. Bank deposits will always pay the promised interest amount on maturity, but the return from a liquid fund is variable because it depends on market interest rates. That is why investors should check the track record of a fund and opt for funds with consistently good performance.

Second, liquid funds are not immune to credit risk. During the IL&FS downgrade in 2018, it was discovered that some liquid funds had invested in lower-rated debt securities to boost their returns. When these securities defaulted on interest payments, their credit rating was downgraded, and the liquid funds lost market value. Investors can reduce credit risk by choosing liquid funds with the highest quality portfolios.

Third, liquid funds are not wealth-creating products; rather, they provide safety and liquidity for a modest return. Investors must ensure that their financial goals and return expectations are in tune with the features of liquid funds.

Finally, liquid funds must be evaluated based on returns as well as expense ratios. Liquid funds are mainly generic products, so most liquid funds earn similar returns at any given time. Therefore, a fund with a high expense ratio will end up with significantly lower returns. For example, consider two liquid funds with yields of 6% and 6.5% respectively. If their expense ratios are 0.3% and 0.9%, then the running yields (yield minus expenses) are 5.7% and 5.6 %. Note how a large expense ratio has reduced the return to the investor.

Sourced : ET Money

Tips to Find the Best Liquid Fund

In evaluating a liquid fund, the main criteria of analysis includes returns, expense ratio, fund size, and extent of portfolio diversification.

Returns: Since liquid funds invest in short term debt with maturities up to 91 days, investors should look at one-month or three-month returns to measure fund performance. Returns over a longer horizon (one/three years) are not meaningful for a liquid fund. A well-performing liquid fund should beat its benchmark as well as its peer funds, but investors must also verify that the fund has done well consistently. This can be checked by looking at one/three-month returns over the past few years.
Expense Ratio: There is not much variation in the returns earned by liquid funds from different fund houses, because all these funds invest in similar short-term debt securities. Hence it is necessary to compare their expense ratios, which is the annual amount charged by the fund for managing the investment portfolio. The higher the expense ratio, the lower the final net return to the investor.
Fund Size: Liquid funds are largely used by institutional investors. In case of a sudden large redemption by an institutional investor, a small liquid fund would lose a significant part of its assets, which in turn would adversely impact its ability to invest and generate returns. Hence liquid funds with relatively larger assets under management (AUM) are preferable to small-sized funds.
Portfolio Diversification: Liquid funds are held for their ability to keep the invested corpus safe and stable. Thus, investors should evaluate the portfolio of a liquid fund to ensure that it is invested in several securities across different issuers. This will minimize the damage to the portfolio in case of default by any issuer.

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Plastic Ban in India: An Overview

by cv | Sep 17, 2022 | consumer durable

Plastic Ban in India: An Overview

In a commendable move, India had banned the use of ‘single-use plastic’ from July 1, 2022. India had banned the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of some well-known single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential. This policy could bring about significant change in India’s fight in checking plastic pollution.

Pallabi Boruah

The Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued the notification in August 2021 announcing a ban on single-use plastic effective from July 2022. Items like balloon sticks, cigarette packs, cutlery items including plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, trays, earbuds, sweet boxes, etc. have been banned.

Single use plastic is a form of disposable plastic used in products like water bottles, straw, cups, etc. It can only be used once and then has to be discarded. Industries and companies are inclined towards producing single use plastics due to their cost-effectiveness. However, trade bodies like the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association (AIPMA) had suggested that the government extend the deadline for phasing out single use plastic products by a period of one year to 2023.

Heavy usage of plastics across the world has caused quite a lot of hazard and peril. Governments and various global regulatory bodies are trying hard to contain and amend it.

Plastic Waste Management Rules

The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of single use plastic commodities shall be prohibited from July 1, 2022. These products include:

Ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene for decoration.
Plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic, or PVC banners less than 100 micron and stirrers.
The government has issued directives at the national, state, and local levels to not supply raw materials to industries that operate in banned items.
Additionally, with effect from December 31, 2022, the thickness of plastic carry bags must be increased from 75 microns to 120 microns to allow their re-use.
There is also a blanket ban already in place on sachets using plastic material for packing, storing, or selling pan masala, gutkha, and tobacco.

India has a per capita plastic consumption of 11 kg compared to the global average of plastic per capita consumption of 28 kg, a report on plastic waste management by the Indian Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry revealed. It has also been found that dumping of plastic waste deteriorates soil and underground water quality due to leaching of additives, colourants, stabilizers and fillers present in the different categories of plastic products.

Rapid economic growth had fuelled demand for goods that come with single-use plastic products, such as straws and disposable cutlery. In India, which uses about 14 million tonnes of plastic annually, has always lacked an organised system for managing plastic waste, which has led to widespread littering. Plastic goods in eventuality chokes drains, rivers and oceans and also kill animals. According to the United Nations, plastic waste is found in alarming proportions in the world’s oceans. There is an estimated 100 million tonnes dumped there. Researchers have found large amounts of micro plastic in the intestines of deep-dwelling ocean mammals like whales.

In a respite to consumers, the government has for now exempted plastic bags but it has asked manufacturers to raise the thickness to encourage reuse and recycle. Hopefully, this ban will encourage people to use more reusable goods and contribute their bit in this fight against plastic pollution.

Consumer VOICE is sensitizing consumers with focus on children & youth, women groups on plastic pollution. We are encouraging consumers to reduce plastic from their daily lives by switching to sustainable alternatives and also encouraging community efforts in this regard.

Various workshops have been conducted and we also use social media channels to post videos, posts using informative graphics, facts, taking support of environment activists, etc.

Our Green Action Week Campaign on Plastic Pollution : https://consumer-voice.org/campaigns/gaw-2021/

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Multi Sourced Edible Oil (MSEO) – Health Benefits

by cv | Aug 20, 2022 | resources

Multi Sourced Edible Oil (MSEO) – Health Benefits

The nutritional habits of people have undergone a radical change over the last few years.¹Studies have shown that the food we eat and the day-to-day routine choices we make is directly correlated with various lifestyle diseases.² Therefore, careful selection of the food consumed and following recommendations set after careful investigations by organizations and governments are critical for our health.

Nutrition consists of three essential macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. These three perform key functions in the body.³ Previously, fats have been predominantly known for being high energy sources. Today, they account for being important parts of our physiological and biological body functions. Fats are a part of structural components. They protect organs, insulate the body, and carry fat-soluble vitamins, amongst various other roles in the body. ⁴

Sources of Fat and Vegetable Oils

Fat can be obtained from poultry, fatty fish, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and edible oils. Vegetable oils are the predominant source of fat in our diet.⁵ In India, cooking oil forms an integral part of the household and is involved in every dish and hence, is an important contributor to our health. The nutritional quality of an oil has become important enough to investigate, because of the role of fat in many nervous and cardiovascular diseases.

The nutritional quality of an oil depends upon its fatty acids composition, presence of essential fatty acids and natural antioxidants. Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats and oil and are classified based on chain length and amount of desaturation (number of double bonds) – SFAs (Saturated fatty acids) with no double bonds, MUFAs (Monounsaturated Fatty Acid) which have 1 double bond, and PUFAs (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid) that have greater than or equal to 2 double bonds.⁶SFAs have been associated with increasing total and bad cholesterol compared to MUFAs and PUFAs that have been known to reduce cholesterol levels and benefit heart health. Similarly, studies have also shown that replacing SFAs with PUFAs followed by MUFAs lowers bad cholesterol.^{7, 8, 9}

The Need for Multi sourced Edible Oil (MSEO)

Individual fatty acids have their pros and cons. Hence a balanced ratio of SFA: PUFA: MUFA is necessary. Single seed oil may not provide a balanced ratio and therefore, the National Institute of Nutrition (India) recommends rotating edible oils, using a combination of oils.¹⁰ Although, rotating oil is recommended, scientifically combining oils to derive maximum functional and nutritional benefits can be a challenge. Based on this, Multi sourced edible oils (MSEO) are customized according to Indian cooking habits, with greater attention to health. MSEO category is governed by two regulatory authorities i.e., FSSAI and AGMARK to bring stringent control on Quality and Safety. Very few other food categories like baby food and packaged water have such multiple regulations.¹¹

MSEO offers enhanced benefits that improve nutritional, physiological and functional health. MSEO focuses on a balanced MUFA: PUFA content, which together with essential fatty acids and natural antioxidants can reduce bad cholesterol and be beneficial against cardiovascular diseases.¹²In concurrence to this, a study testing a synergistic blend of rice bran oil (RBO) and safflower oil (SO) (70:30) led to significant reduction in plasma cholesterol, LDL-C and had a positive impact on inflammatory markers in blood. The authors concluded that RBO along with SO magnified hypocholesterolaemia efficacy compared to single oils alone^{13, 14}. Similarly, in 2010, studies have been performed with a blend of RBO:SO (80:20) and showed significant antihyperlipidemic effects. ^15,16 Moreover, a blend of rice bran oil and sesame oil in an 80:20 blend yielded beneficial effects by improving lipid profiles as well as glycaemic control significantly in diabetic patients and pre-diabetic subjects¹⁷. A blend of rice bran oil with olive oil in 70:30 ratio showed lipid lowering properties¹⁸. Hence, multisource edible oils are targeted to achieve beneficial functional and nutritional properties for holistic nourishment, health, and well-being.

References:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2016.09.007.

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Microwave Ovens (MWO): Choose the Best for Easy Home Cooking

by cv | Aug 20, 2022 | Microwave

Microwave Ovens (MWO): Choose the Best for Easy Home Cooking

Microwave ovens are all about convenience. Whether you want to warm leftovers, make soup, tea or coffee, make instant snacks like popcorn, or cook some kebabs or paneer tikka, no other appliance makes it as easy as a microwave. It fits into our rushed lives like a glove, doesn’t it? Choosing one can be super easy since the market is flooded with some of the finest microwave oven brands, both national and international. The top manufacturers whose products are available in India are IFB, LG, Samsung, Bajaj, and Murphy Richards. These brands are designed keeping in mind the requirements of consumers and are equipped with the latest user-friendly technology and smart features. However, with all these options, choice can also become all the more difficult. Which type of microwave oven works best for my home and what is the best size and capacity for my needs? Here is a comparative study on the most-selling brands and models of convection microwave ovens.

Types of MWO

Three types of microwave ovens are available in the market.

Solo microwave ovens

Solo microwave ovens are entry-level models for simple/limited cooking. Best fit for reheat and simple cooking.

Grill microwave ovens

These are provided with additional grilling accessories. They are suitable for reheating, cooking and grilling.

Convection microwave ovens

Convection microwave ovens use a fan and a heating element to create airflow patterns inside the microwave oven. These are best for reheating, cooking, grilling and baking.

Size/Capacity of MWO

The size that is best suited for you will depend on the number of family members and how often you are likely to use the microwave oven. In India, the microwave oven is used more to warm the food than to cook. In general, up to 20 litres is sufficient for a family of 2 to 3 persons; 21 litres–30 litres for a medium-sized family; and above 31 litres for a large family or large cooking. Depending on the size of the oven, you have the power consumption range. Naturally, the larger ovens consume greater power.

What is the Usable Cavity Volume?

Generally, manufacturers mention the volume (in litres) of the microwave, including all the internal space in the inside cavity. But this volume isn’t the same that we measure, because a substantial part of this volume is not really usable. For consumers, the maximum usable capacity is the longest cylindrical utensil that can rotate inside the oven, if we deactivated the turntable. The rated volume does not match with the complete cavity volume, which is 30 to 45 per cent less than the rated volume. Therefore, the useful volume is that volume where the turntable rotates in the cavity. Larger the turntable, better it is for even cooking. It may be noted that usable cavity area may be quite less than the rated capacity claimed.

Important Features to Consider while Buying

Apart from regular features like auto defrost, multistage cooking and cooking-menu buttons, check out the following attributes before making your choice.

Auto Cook Menu

This feature has pre-set programs that help in simplifying the preparation of different recipes. All you have to do is to select the type of dish and the weight. The oven will automatically calculate the time required and set the power accordingly.

Child safety lock

This will prevent children from operating the microwave oven accidentally.

Power rating

Check out the power rating. Microwave ovens come in the range of 600 to 1,500 watts. More watts mean faster cooking as it generates higher heat and in less time.

Cooking sensors

These humidity-sensing sensors determine the humidity in the food item you are about to cook in the microwave and accordingly determine the cooking time. You should look for this feature while buying your microwave oven as it will eliminate the guesswork from your cooking and avoid overcooking of food.

Operating control panel

Look for an oven that has a control panel that is easy to operate. If you have enough information and if it’s easy to determine which button is for what, then you should be okay. Besides, those touch panels look cool too.

Multistage cooking

This feature is very good for Indian cooking style as our food is cooked at various temperatures depending on the amount of time. Some food items need to be cooked at high temperature initially and then moved to low temperature after a certain time. Multistage cooking will help you to automate this process by setting time intervals and temperatures to be used while cooking the food.

Handy shortcut keys

Having shortcut keys on your microwave oven will make your life easier as common food items like popcorn and noodles require a fixed cooking time. You can cook these items by just pressing the keys from the auto-cook menu.

Auto defrosts

Just enter the weight of the food item and the oven will determine how much time is needed to defrost it. A nice feature for those ready-to-eat frozen-food lovers.

v Cooking power

Microwave ovens come with varying powers ranging from 700, 800 to 1200 watts. More watts means faster cooking which helps when you are in a hurry. It’s better to opt for lower wattage models if usage will not be very frequent. You can also opt for high-end ones that offer higher capacity for larger households or cooking large quantities is needed frequently due to busy working schedules etc.

Take These Safety Precautions

v Carefully read the operating manual before starting the microwave oven.

v Look for microwave-specific cookware. Never use metal or metal-trimmed utensils in your microwave oven.

v Do not operate the oven when empty (except in prep-heat mode). It is best to leave a glass of water in

the oven when not in use. The water will safely absorb all microwave energy if the oven is accidentally started.

v Do not operate the oven with a kitchen towel or a napkin; always use gloves when removing the dish from oven.

v Do not rinse the turntable by placing it in water just after cooking.

v Do not cook eggs in their shell as these will explode.

v Do not attempt deep fat frying in your oven.

v Remove the polythene/plastic wrapping from food before defrosting.

v If smoke is observed, switch off or disconnect the oven from the power supply and keep the oven door closed.

v Liquid or other foods must not be heated in sealed containers.

v Do not cover the ventilation slots.

v Avoid aluminium foil for cooking wrapped food.

v Do not try to repair the oven by yourself. Always take it to an authorised service centre.

v If you use your microwaves frequently, you should clean them at least once every couple of weeks.

v If any food remains stuck to the microwave walls can get overheated, it can have terrible effects.

Important Things to Know

How Does a Microwave Oven Cook Food?

Microwave oven is an electronic appliance generally made up of various sub-assemblies and contains a microwave generator called magnetron. This magnetron, when powered, generates high-powered electromagnetic waves. Inside walls of the microwave oven cavity are reflective, which reflect these radio waves and pass through the food item kept inside a microwave oven on a turntable. Due to these microwaves, molecules inside the food item vibrate, and since vibration generates heat, this heat cooks the food

Are microwave ovens safe?

Microwave ovens are considered safe if used properly. The food is just as nutritious (more so in some cases) as with any other cooking method. The electromagnetic waves stop as soon as you cut off the power and open the door; they don’t remain in the food and make it radioactive.

Can a microwave oven destroy the proteins/nutrients in food?

No, cooking food in a microwave oven does not destroy the nutrients. In fact, nutrients get destroyed due to overcooking or cooking at a very high temperature using any form of cooking like boiling.

Comparison at a Glance: Of Convection-Type Microwave Ovens

For our survey, we shortlisted the regular-selling brands of convection-type microwave ovens.

S. No.	Brand	Model	Capacity/Litres	Warranty on Product/ Magnetron / Cavity, Year	Wattage	Cavity Material	Color	Net Weight, Kg	Price, Rs.
1	Samsung	MC28A5013AK/TL	28	1/5/10	900	Ceramic Enamel	Black	17.5	11190
2	IFB	30BRC2	30	1/3	800		Black	20.1	13787
3	IFB	20SC2	20	1/3	800		Silver	14.3	10390
4	LG	MC3286BRUM	32	1/3	2500	ABS	Black	22.6	16990
5	Samsung	MC32A7035CT/TL	32	1/5/10	900	Stainless Steel	Silver	20.0	17300
6	Panasonic	NN-CT353BFDG	23	1	800		Black	11.9	17790
7	IFB	20BC4	20	1/3	800	Polyurethane	Black	16.0	10899
8	IFB	20SC2	20	1/3	800		Silver	14.3	10390
9	IFB	23BC4	23	1/3	800	Polyurethane	Black	16.0	11890
10	Bajaj	2310	23	1	800		Silver	14.2	10499
11	Whirlpool	Magiccookpro	24	1/5	800	Stainless Steel	Black	16.6	10699
12	IFB	25SC4	25	1/3	800	Stainless Steel	Metallic Silver	16.1	12990
13	Panasonic	NN-CT644MFDG	27	1/4	2400	Aluminium	Black	20.4	15990
14	Panasonic	NN-CT645BFDG	27	1	900	Stainless Steel	Black	17.2	12090
15	Samsung	MC28H5025VP/TL	28	1/4/10	2100	Steel	Silver	17.5	14490
16	LG	MC2886SFU	28	1/4	1950	ABS	Sliver	18.8	14690
17	LG	MC3286BRUM	32	1/4	2500	ABS	Black	27.9	18450
18	Godreg	GME530CR1SZ	30	1/3	900	Stainless Steel	Red	16.6	14890
19	Samsung	MC28H5025VS/TL	28	1/4	2100	Metal	Silver	17.5	14799
20	LG	MC2846SL	28	1/4	1950	ABS	Silver	17.8	12470
21	LG	MC2886BRUM	28	1/4	1950	ABS	Black	22.7	15950
22	Samsung	MC28M6036CC/TL	28	1/4	900	Steel	Black	17.9	19940
23	IFB	30SC4	30	1/3	800	Stainless Steel	Silver	19	12999

Note: Price may vary from retailer to retailer. For latest price, please check at amazon.in or

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Eat Right Challenge

by cv | Aug 20, 2022 | Guest Column

Eat Right Challenge

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has initiated the Eat Right India movement. The movement is based on three key themes, ‘if it’s not safe, it’s not food’ (safe food), ‘food should not only serve the palate but is also meant for body and mind’ (healthy diets) and ‘food has to be good both for people and the planet’ (sustainable diets).

Shri Arun Singhal, CEO, FSSAI

The Eat Right Challenge was envisioned as a competition among districts and cities to recognize their efforts in adopting and scaling up various initiatives under Eat Right India. Further, it was meant to motivate States/UTs to improve performance and encourage others to join.

Salient Features

The Eat Right India Movement is working on three key themes through a graded “Food Systems Approach” (FSA) to address these issues in a holistic manner by building on the collective action of all stakeholders – consumers, food businesses, community organizations, experts, professionals, and the government. Multiple actions, not only on the supply-side, but also on the demand-side are needed. Therefore, various actionables under the Challenge have been categorized under four sectors:

Robust food regulatory system:The food authority has taken informed steps to formulate new and strengthen the existing food standards in the country. This includes setting globally-benchmarked standards, credible food testing, surveillance and various enforcement activities. Through the Challenge, the aim is to broaden the reach of registration/licensing, enforcement, surveillance, among other core regulatory activities of FSSAI.
Self-compliance of food businesses and capacity building:Food may be contaminated with a variety of microorganisms at various stages across the supply chain – post-harvesting, storing, processing or during handling operations. Through training and certification of both big and small businesses, and unorganized vendors, self-compliance to regulations and standards set by the Authority can be achieved through a graded approach.
Changing food environments:Preventive healthcare is critical and lowers the burden of disease on the country and hence boosts productivity of its people. As food is a common thread linking citizens everywhere, the food authority’s approach is to transform the ‘food environment’ in the country to provide safe, healthy, nutritious, and sustainable diets to all. While doing so, engagement with both the consumers and the food industry is strengthened.
Mass mobilization:To make Eat Right India a people’s movement, the authority is planning to organise large-scale citizen-centric campaigns to bring about social and behavioural change. This includes awareness generation about reduction in the consumption of High Fat, Trans-fat, Salt and Sugar foods, while promoting consumption of local, seasonal and fortified foods for better health outcomes. This will create an environment of opting for informed healthier choices.

Outcomes and Effects

To strengthen food safety through the food regulatory environment:Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the Food safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the food safety administrations in the States / UTs are expected to create food environments where safe and wholesome food is available for all. This will ensure that a database of licensed/registered food businesses is available with FSSAI.
To provide for safe and healthier food options by enabling the supply side:The food environment today is working towards delivering healthy diets. They are still at the risk of malnutrition, and increasing incidence of foodborne illnesses. This can be addressed by adoption of healthier menus, reducing high fat, trans-fat, sugar and salt foods, and adequately disposing used cooking oil for production of biodiesel at the food industry end. Nudging the food businesses to provide for healthier options in their food menus and products is, therefore, necessary. Food safety can thus be achieved by building capacities of the businesses and ensuring self-compliance to regulations.
To engage with citizens for adoption and demanding healthier diets:Eat Right India is people’s movement with targeted promotion of dietary diversity and balanced diets, eating mindfully and timely, and promoting large-scale fortification of staples to address micronutrient deficiencies are some ways to encourage the consumer demand for healthier diets. This will ensure lower incidence of disease and increased focus on preventive healthcare through social behaviour change.

The Eat Right Challenge for Cities and Districts received participation from 188 cities and districts and 75 have been declared as winners based on their performance across five broad parameters. Grant of Rs. 5, 00,000/- (Rupees Five Lakh Only) to each district/city was provided for undertaking various Eat Right India initiatives. During the Challenge, participating cities and districts had taken various efforts to improve the food environment in their respective areas. The top 10 districts in order of their ranks in top 75 are Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Vadodara (Gujarat), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Thiruvallur (Tamil Nadu), Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu), Salem (Tamil Nadu) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).

Further, looking at the overwhelming response from participating districts in Phase I, the Phase II of the Eat Right Challenge for Districts has also been initiated. The Eat Right Challenge for Districts (Phase II) is envisioned as a competition among districts to recognize their efforts in adopting and scaling up various initiatives under Eat Right India. Further, it is meant to motivate States to develop a food strategy that supports a healthy, safe, and sustainable food environment, through participating districts.

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