CHENNAI: One of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s main recommendations for safety guidelines in school canteens is restriction of food high on oil, fat, sugar and salt.
While this recommendation is being followed to an extent in schools across the city, another FSSAI rule that categorically states that no junk food stalls, bakeries or eateries should be present within 50 meters of the school is nowhere close to being implemented.
When Nisha T studying in a school near Valasaravakkam was asked if her school sold any junk food in canteens, she vehemently nodded and said no, while reaching into her pocket to pay a vendor for the potato chips and cakes that she had just purchased from a shop next to her school.
Following a Delhi high court order, FSSAI drafted a set of guidelines recently to regulate food in and near schools since obesity, hypertension and diabetes has been on a steady high in younger population. However, a majority of schools around the city have bakeries, junk food shops, within a few feet of the schools.
During closing time, many ice cream, chat and other street food vendors park right at the gates of schools.
Shreedhar, who runs a bakery, juice and snacks shop a building away from a popular girls school at T. Nagar said he had regular customers from the school. Chips, samosas and puffs were the items most preferred by students.
While schools conduct regular supervision of canteens and send out circulars to warn students of bad eating habits, ironically many parents who come to pick up their children end up buying from the ice cream vendors, or making a quick visit to the bakery before heading home.
Schools take steps to provide healthy food
When DC interacted with schools students to find out what food is made available at their schools, most students claimed that junk food like chips or other crisps was not sold in their canteens.
Seema Sharma, who has been in canteen business for 16 years, presently runs canteens at four schools in the city, She said the school has strict policies with regard to junk food being sold. “We only provide food that the children would eat at home. However, FSSAI guidelines also recommend that foods like samosas, pizzas, cutlets and burgers be restricted as they are high in fat and salt. However, Sharma said while school authorities do allow these snacks to be sold, they say that only less oil should be used. Dalda is strictly prohibited.
Centre to appoint authoritiesWhile the Centre is yet to implement FSSAI recommendations, DC contacted State officials. However, they seemed to be unaware of the recommended guidelines. Authorities from the Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme were unavailable for comment while school education secretary D. Sabitha said their department was not in charge of regulating school canteens.
When Nisha T studying in a school near Valasaravakkam was asked if her school sold any junk food in canteens, she vehemently nodded and said no, while reaching into her pocket to pay a vendor for the potato chips and cakes that she had just purchased from a shop next to her school.
Following a Delhi high court order, FSSAI drafted a set of guidelines recently to regulate food in and near schools since obesity, hypertension and diabetes has been on a steady high in younger population. However, a majority of schools around the city have bakeries, junk food shops, within a few feet of the schools.
During closing time, many ice cream, chat and other street food vendors park right at the gates of schools.
Shreedhar, who runs a bakery, juice and snacks shop a building away from a popular girls school at T. Nagar said he had regular customers from the school. Chips, samosas and puffs were the items most preferred by students.
While schools conduct regular supervision of canteens and send out circulars to warn students of bad eating habits, ironically many parents who come to pick up their children end up buying from the ice cream vendors, or making a quick visit to the bakery before heading home.
Schools take steps to provide healthy food
When DC interacted with schools students to find out what food is made available at their schools, most students claimed that junk food like chips or other crisps was not sold in their canteens.
Seema Sharma, who has been in canteen business for 16 years, presently runs canteens at four schools in the city, She said the school has strict policies with regard to junk food being sold. “We only provide food that the children would eat at home. However, FSSAI guidelines also recommend that foods like samosas, pizzas, cutlets and burgers be restricted as they are high in fat and salt. However, Sharma said while school authorities do allow these snacks to be sold, they say that only less oil should be used. Dalda is strictly prohibited.
Centre to appoint authoritiesWhile the Centre is yet to implement FSSAI recommendations, DC contacted State officials. However, they seemed to be unaware of the recommended guidelines. Authorities from the Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme were unavailable for comment while school education secretary D. Sabitha said their department was not in charge of regulating school canteens.
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