No chocolates, chips, cold drinks in Maharashtra schools anymore; FDA’s Tukaram Mundhe issues order | Mumbai News

Sale of chocolates, chips banned in Maharashtra schools

Addressing a press conference, Tukaram Mundhe said a list of foods, considered unhealthy for school kids, is available on the FDA website.

Tukaram Mundhe said a list of foods, considered unhealthy for school kids, is available on the FDA website. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

“The whole list is available on our website. But just to give an example, cold drinks, chocolate, caffeinated drinks shouldn’t be available in the school and 50 within meters of the school premise,” Mundhe told a room full of journalists.

When asked if Chinese food with ajinomoto can be sold in or outside schools, Tukaram Mundhe said “no”. “The larger objective is healthier students,” he reiterated.

The directive applies to all pre-primary, primary, elementary and secondary schools, residential schools and hostels, and institutions affiliated with the State Board, CBSE, ICSE or any other board. It binds every food business operator (FBO), canteen, mid-day meal provider, hostel kitchen and tuck shop operating on or near school premises.

The schools must also ensure that all food served within the school campus conforms to dietary guidelines from the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), with adequate macronutrients, micronutrients and hydration.

The order cites enforcement data showing a large share of school canteens, tuck shops and mid-day meal kitchens across the state operate without registration, with HFSS products freely available in and around campuses despite the 2020 rules. It frames the crackdown as a constitutional obligation under Articles 21, 39(f) and 47, which guarantee the right to health and direct the state to improve nutrition and public health standards.

What are schools required to do?

For schools across Maharashtra, Tukaram Mundhe has directed appointment and training of one individual as a designated nodal officer.

Schools are also required to display warning boards at entrances, keep FBO licences visible, comply with hygiene norms under the FSS Licensing and Registration Regulations, 2011, and ensure computers and digital infrastructure carry no HFSS advertising.

The Department of School Education must ensure FBOs under the PM POSHAN and Shalaposhan Aahar Yojana mid-day meal schemes are licensed, and fold food-safety compliance into school inspections and accreditation.

Boards of Affiliation — including the state board, CBSE and ICSE — must make compliance to all measures a mandatory condition for affiliation and renewal, and issue show-cause notices or withdraw affiliation from repeat offenders.

When asked if schools would be given some time to implement these guidelines, Mundhe said that the rule was implemented in 2021. “They had a lot of time in hand, it takes effect immediately,” he said, adding that schools whether government, aided or private, whether in rural or urban areas, who won’t comply may loose their affiliation.

Inspections in schools

The order also extends to food safety officers and assistant commissioners.  A Food Safety Officers (FSO) must inspect every school at least twice a year to check licensing, hygiene, display boards, nodal-officer appointments and the 50-metre zone, and must collect food samples at least once annually, and submit inspection reports within seven days.

Assistant Commissioners (Food)/Designated Officers will supervise FSOs, issue improvement notices, sanction prosecutions, and maintain a district-level compliance register, reporting to Joint Commissioners by March 31 each year.

The order notes that violations of food safety law can carry penalties up to life imprisonment under Section 59 of the Act, depending on the harm caused. “It’s a big work to do but also a big opportunity,” Tukaram Mundhe said.