Spice of Life Sunrise rolls out a safety drive to beat food adulteration

MUMBAI: Nothing spices up a community like safety and Sunrise now wants to season India with both. ITC Ltd.’s Sunrise Spices, a household name across the East, has launched its flagship CSR initiative, the Sunrise Swasthya Pradesh Program, a large-scale food safety movement designed to fight adulteration and strengthen safe eating habits across Indian homes and community kitchens. Rolled out in partnership with the NGO READS (Rajabazar Education and Awareness Development Society), the initiative will cover West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam and Andhra Pradesh, aiming to reach millions of households and food handlers.

At the heart of the programme are two powerful interventions, one for the people who feed the nation at celebrations, and another for the women who nourish it at home.

Every festive season, crores of Indians rely on the invisible army of cooks, caterers and street vendors who keep the country’s weddings, melas and celebrations running. Yet many of these food makers lack formal training in safe handling. Sunrise aims to change that through specialised FoSTaC (Food Safety Training and Certification) sessions aligned with FSSAI guidelines.

Participants undergo structured training, followed by assessments, and those who pass receive official FoSTaC certification, a mark of trust that boosts both consumer confidence and the professional credibility of vendors and caterers. Over time, this initiative is expected to impact millions of consumers, ensuring that celebratory meals are not just memorable but also safely prepared.

The programme’s second pillar is rooted in the home, empowering women to become frontline defenders against adulteration. Sunrise aims to sensitise 1.5 million women across 10 districts in West Bengal, equipping them with:

.  FSSAI’s DART (Detection of Adulteration by Rapid Test) booklet

.  IEC material on reading food labels

.   Adulteration testing kits

Health camps and haat-level activations will encourage women to test ingredients, spread awareness and champion safer choices within their communities.

“For decades, Sunrise has been a trusted name in Indian kitchens,” said ITC Spices business head Piyush Mishra. “With the Swasthya Pradesh Program, we reinforce our commitment to food safety, hygiene and health. By empowering caterers, food vendors and women with knowledge and skills, this initiative goes beyond awareness to transform everyday practices and safeguard the health of millions.”

ITC ltd vice president & head of food sciences Shantanu Das emphasised the scientific backbone of the initiative: “By building capacity through FoSTaC and awarding certification, the programme ensures consumer protection and strengthens India’s food handling ecosystem. Such science-backed initiatives are critical for safeguarding health and creating a culture where every meal can be enjoyed with confidence.”

The launch event brought together street food vendors, caterers and women from nearby villages, many of whom shared how certification, tools and awareness would directly uplift their livelihoods and communities. The programme aligns with ITC’s Nutrition Strategy – ‘Help India Eat Better’, centred on safe nutrition, sustainable food ecosystems and healthier communities.

With adulteration continuing to challenge both rural and urban India, Sunrise’s new initiative brings both scale and science to a mission that begins in the kitchen but reaches far beyond it.