New Guidelines Proposed to Curb Junk Food in Schools

New Delhi, August 11: In a bid to prioritize children’s health, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed stricter regulations regarding food sold in schools. The food regulator has outlined quantitative standards to identify products that contain excessive amounts of added fats, sugars, or salt.

According to a draft notification published in the Gazette of India, the FSSAI aims to amend the ‘Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and Balanced Diet for Children in Schools) Regulations, 2020.’ The goal is to make food options available in schools healthier and to control unhealthy eating habits.

The proposed regulations are based on the ‘Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024’ issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). These guidelines will help clearly identify food items that exceed the permissible limits of added fats, sugars, or sodium.

As per the FSSAI’s proposal, any solid food containing more than 4.2 grams of added fat per 100 grams will be classified as ‘high fat.’ For liquid food products, the limit is set at 1.5 grams per 100 milliliters.

Similarly, the proposed limit for added sugars is 3 grams per 100 grams for solid foods and 2 grams per 100 milliliters for liquid products. Items exceeding these thresholds will be categorized as ‘high sugar.’

Clear standards have also been proposed for salt or sodium content. The draft states that if a solid food contains more than 0.625 grams of salt per 100 grams, or a liquid product has more than 0.175 grams of salt per 100 milliliters, it will fall under the ‘high sodium’ category.

These new provisions will be integrated into the existing rules concerning monitoring and inspection in schools, aiming for a better assessment of the quality and nutritional levels of food available on school premises.

The FSSAI has stated that these draft regulations have been prepared under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and have received prior approval from the central government.

The food regulator has invited suggestions and objections from the public, food industry, schools, and other stakeholders regarding this draft. Feedback can be submitted within 60 days from the date of the notification’s public release.

The FSSAI clarified that final regulations will be notified only after considering all suggestions and objections received within the stipulated period.