DST TEC, along with Nitte University Center for Science Education & Research (NUCSER), Department of Public Health, K S Hegde Medical Academy (KSHEMA), and Nitte DU, jointly organised the World Food Safety Day at St Aloysius Higher Primary School, Karangalpady, Mangaluru, on 7th June 2024. The event consisted of a Quiz competition and education about food safety with the students of Grades 5-7. The event was attended by around 370 students and 25 teachers of the school. The Headmistress, Ms. Jositta Noronha, welcomed the gathering and introduced the organizers to the students & faculty.

Dr Akshatha K, Asst. Professor, NUCSER, spoke about the significance of food safety in our daily life and provided the background for declaring 7th June as World Food Safety Day by the United Nations. She raised awareness about food safety and promote actions to prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks. The critical role that food safety plays in ensuring that everyone has access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food was highlighted.

The intellectually stimulating Quiz competition brought together 6 enthusiastic groups of students, each group consisting of two members who demonstrated their knowledge and teamwork skills. The competition comprised five rounds, including general knowledge about food hygiene, nutrition content in food, food brands, processed food and pasteurization, featuring multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blanks, picture identification and rapid-fire rounds. Mr Prajwal Jupiter Lobo, Asst. Professor, Public Health, KSHEMA moderated the quiz session. Conducted with fair rules and time limit, the quiz maintained a competitive yet friendly atmosphere. The top three winners of the event were awarded with cash prizes sponsored by DST TEC.

Dr Mackwin DMello, HoD, Public Health, KSHEMA, Dr Caroline Dsouza, Dr Nishith and Mr Rahul Patil, Project Associates from DST TEC, engaged the children, discussing the importance of food safety and raising awareness on the topic. Mr Padmanabh Rao from St Aloysius School thanked the organisers for conducting the program which was beneficial to the students.