Food safety regulator FSSAI will put the draft guidelines framed by it in front of a seven-member expert committee. The final guidelines will be out post that
In a move that will alter the consumption of products such as burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, snack foods and soft drinks in schools, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is putting in place final guidelines to determine what constitutes healthy and unhealthy food in educational institutions.
The guidelines, which will be out by December this year, will categorise food items commonly sold and consumed in schools under segments such as junk food, street food, nutritional food and unhealthy food. The endeavour, according to persons in the know, is intended to help children inculcate good eating habits.
FSSAI will put the draft guidelines framed by it recently in front of a seven-member expert committee. The final set of guidelines will be formulated taking into account the recommendations by the expert committee, persons in the know said.
Executives at Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, however, say they do not market carbonated drinks to children in primary and secondary schools. Juice drinks such as Maaza, on the other hand, are available only on demand in secondary schools. Packaged water though is kept both in primary and secondary schools by the two companies.
Activist bodies such as the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) say the move by the food regulator is important given the lack of adequate food safety and labeling standards in India. Chandra Bhushan, deputy director, CSE, says, "While the step is welcome, the draft guidelines in my view need to specifically address food labeling issues. There is also rampant consumption of junk and street food happening right outside schools. The draft guidelines do speak of regulating sale of these food items within 500 yards of schools, but strict implementation has to be there."
Last year, CSE had found fast food meals and snacks such as PepsiCo's Lays and Haldiram's Aloo Bhujiya containing dangerous levels of trans fats and salt in a two-month study done by it. At that time, CSE had said, "Sugar, salt and fat are items that need to be regulated. This means governments have to step in to control the powerful processed food industry. But this is not happening in India."
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo say they are already part of an eight-member club of companies in India, which has pledged to promote healthy dietary habits among young children.
The group, which was formed three years ago, includes Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Nestle, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Mars and Cadbury besides Coke and Pepsi. The pledge taken by these companies as part of the endeavour includes no advertising to children below 12 years and desisting from commercial communication of their food & beverage products in primary schools, except for those that fulfill specific nutrition criteria or have been requested by or agreed by the school administrator.
In a move that will alter the consumption of products such as burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, snack foods and soft drinks in schools, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is putting in place final guidelines to determine what constitutes healthy and unhealthy food in educational institutions.
The guidelines, which will be out by December this year, will categorise food items commonly sold and consumed in schools under segments such as junk food, street food, nutritional food and unhealthy food. The endeavour, according to persons in the know, is intended to help children inculcate good eating habits.
FSSAI will put the draft guidelines framed by it recently in front of a seven-member expert committee. The final set of guidelines will be formulated taking into account the recommendations by the expert committee, persons in the know said.
Executives at Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, however, say they do not market carbonated drinks to children in primary and secondary schools. Juice drinks such as Maaza, on the other hand, are available only on demand in secondary schools. Packaged water though is kept both in primary and secondary schools by the two companies.
Activist bodies such as the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) say the move by the food regulator is important given the lack of adequate food safety and labeling standards in India. Chandra Bhushan, deputy director, CSE, says, "While the step is welcome, the draft guidelines in my view need to specifically address food labeling issues. There is also rampant consumption of junk and street food happening right outside schools. The draft guidelines do speak of regulating sale of these food items within 500 yards of schools, but strict implementation has to be there."
Last year, CSE had found fast food meals and snacks such as PepsiCo's Lays and Haldiram's Aloo Bhujiya containing dangerous levels of trans fats and salt in a two-month study done by it. At that time, CSE had said, "Sugar, salt and fat are items that need to be regulated. This means governments have to step in to control the powerful processed food industry. But this is not happening in India."
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo say they are already part of an eight-member club of companies in India, which has pledged to promote healthy dietary habits among young children.
The group, which was formed three years ago, includes Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Nestle, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Mars and Cadbury besides Coke and Pepsi. The pledge taken by these companies as part of the endeavour includes no advertising to children below 12 years and desisting from commercial communication of their food & beverage products in primary schools, except for those that fulfill specific nutrition criteria or have been requested by or agreed by the school administrator.
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