Junk Food Out: Schools Embrace Healthy Indian Snacks

Schools across Maharashtra, including those in Mumbai, are transforming their canteen menus by replacing popular junk foods like vada pav and samosas with traditional Indian snacks such as idli, dosa, poha, sheera, and upma. Aerated drinks have also been banned. This significant shift is a direct response to a warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding food safety and a subsequent circular from the state school education department enforcing the Food Safety and Standards (Safe food and balanced diets for children in school) Regulations, 2020.

The directives extend beyond the school gates, instructing schools to ensure no High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) food is sold within a 50-meter radius. Schools are tasked with reporting non-compliant food business operators to the FDA or local gram panchayats. Awareness campaigns for school representatives and midday meal suppliers have been conducted in Mumbai, and similar initiatives are underway in interior regions of the state, with a one-week implementation deadline.

Many schools have already implemented these changes, banning deep-fried items and encouraging freshly cooked food. Some are even replacing sweets at birthday celebrations with fresh fruit as part of broader campaigns promoting healthy eating habits. While parents broadly welcome these measures, they express a desire for regulations to also cover retailers and sellers of junk food outside school premises, ensuring a comprehensive approach to children's nutrition.